


The Others

by LadyEhlena



Category: not a fandom
Genre: Adult Content, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Forced, Kidnapping, Other, Romance, Seduction, Sexual Content, The Others - Freeform, female - Freeform, mature romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:27:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 31
Words: 147,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26394130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyEhlena/pseuds/LadyEhlena
Summary: “So?” he taunts provokingly, letting his hands fall to my shoulders, “would you still let me touch you?”“Yes” I whisper so silently, that the word isn’t audible to even myself. I clear my throat.“Yes, I would” I repeat forcefully. One word. One damn word and my whole world falls into place.*I’ve lived my whole life with a constant feeling of not fitting in or belonging anywhere. As an orphan and with no other family, I’ve fought my way through life alone, always felt insecure and never dared to trust anyone or love anyone – because those you love die. Apparently.When I was pulled into a strange world of power, sex, death and survival, you would think that I would be terrified and feel like a stranger. But it was like coming home. That’s the world I’ve always belonged in but never knew even existed.  The man of my dreams revealed himself in the most peculiar way, and even though the road to happiness is long and filled with obstacles, love is worth fighting for.
Relationships: Arya & Chris, Arya & Dragan
Comments: 4
Kudos: 3





	1. The first meeting

“So, to sum up, we can now conclude that Jackson’s theory about the poetic function projecting from the axis of selection over the axis of combination is true.”

Professor Lassiter smiles weakly under his bushy moustache and his glasses slide further down the tip of his nose.

“And now we’re out of time. Alright, guys, that’s it for today. I’ll see you all next week, same time, same place.” A half-hearted applause follows which ends today’s lesson, and the sound of voices and chairs being pushed back is deafening. I lean back in my own chair and carefully shut my laptop down. Linguistics. Yikes. The sound of the word almost makes me yawn. But it is mandatory and I have to pull myself together, if I am to realise my dreams of completing my bachelor degree here at the University of Oxford. There is no saving grace from linguistics. I sigh loudly, while I run a hand through my long, blonde hair. It’s going to be a long semester. Or, _another_ long semester, I might say. This is my fourth one.

“Oh no, look at that. You would not have expected that, huh? You owe me another Cadbury” Christian laughs next to me and gently pushes his elbow against my ribs. I lift my head and follow his gaze to one of our classmates Morten. The annoying and arrogant I-think-I-know-all-and-I-am-better-than-everyone-else-Morten who has pulled Professor Lassiter aside to ask some clarifying questions. As always. Christian and I have been study-buddies since the first semester and Morten has been attending the same lectures in more than half our classes ever since.

“Oh shit, another one? I’ll buy you a whole box and be covered for the rest of the year.”

I smile and Christian claps his hands in joy, while he smiles with expectation.

“Are you coming along for the train?” Christian asks, while he pulls his bag up on his shoulder and looks towards the exit. “It’s always so crowed on Fridays.”

“No, not today, I have to find Professor Howard and talk to him about my thesis. You’re on your own today” I reply, while I pack my things into the heavy backpack.

“Oh, it’s going to be hard. It’s going to be unbearable. But somehow I will find the strength to survive without you” he replies and I smile while I shake my head in laughter. Christian; the always overdramatic homosexual. Talk about stereotyping someone. We leave the auditorium together and say our goodbyes, while Christian heads towards the train station and I walk in the opposite direction towards the building where the philosophy department is located. I pull my jacket closer to my chest. The fall is turning into winter and the dark clouds above are threatening to send a wave of cold rain down on me. It’s late afternoon on a Friday and as I make my way through campus, I see the buildings getting emptier as the students and staff leave for the weekend. I reach the building of my destination, just as the first of the heavy raindrops lands in my hair. The building is empty and feels almost abandoned. I walk through the empty halls while I read the names on the doors to find the one I’m looking for. Deep inside the building I finally find the right door. “Professor Asgaard Howard, Cand. Mag. in philosophy and psychology”. I lift my hand to knock and Professor Howard calls out a mumbled reply. I enter his office and looks around. The walls are covered in bookcases with books in all shapes and sizes. And genres. Philosophy. Psychology. Encyclopaedias. Most of them are old and worn down, as if they have been pulled out and read many times. Which they probably have. Professor Howard is an aging man well on his way to retirement. The top of his head is almost bare, only a thin ring of light gray hair bears witness about hair ever having been on his head to begin with. He is short, skinny and looks a bit fragile, to be honest. But his eyes are kind and his smile is warm, and he is my favourite professor as well as my mentor for my thesis. He is just so damned wise. Professor Howard bids me welcome and I start to present my thesis to him as well as my ideas surrounding the whole project.

When I finally lift my head from my notes, I discover that the sun has set and it has become dark outside the windows. I hastily look towards the clock on the wall. Wow. We have been buried in my thesis for almost three hours. It is almost 8pm and I am going to be so late. Martin is going to be angry with me. Again. And Professor Howard will probably also be in for a scolding from his wife when he finally gets home.

“I’m so sorry, it was never my intention to take up so much of your time, professor” I mumble, while I quickly put my things into my backpack. Howards smile for me is warm.

“Don’t you worry about that, my dear. It is always a pleasure to be able to help one of my best students” he replies and my bad conscience is soothed by the warmth in his eyes. He really means it. My smile is wide while the heat rises to my cheeks. I wholeheartedly thank him for his help and hurries out the door and down the hallway. I am almost at the front door of the building, when I remember that I forgot to borrow the book Professor Howard had promised me I could use for my thesis. I curse under my breath and turn around to head back to Professor Howard’s office. When I reach the end of the hallway, I see that the door isn’t shut completely and I’m pretty sure I closed it behind me a moment ago. Maybe he already left? No, there’s light spilling out from the crack. I slowly walk nearer and hear the sound of muted voices from inside the office. Weird, I think. The professor was alone a minute ago when I left. Maybe he is calling his wife to apologise? No, I hear another male voice coming out of the office. It is not my intention to spy. But something about the whole situations feels wrong. With no sound, I stand in front of the door and put my ear nearer the door.

“... the payment is not something you should concern yourself with, Professor. I am willing to pay a large sum of money for you help” a strange voice says loudly and the tone in his voice leaves no doubt; this man wants to get his way.

“It is not a question of money, young man; I am simply not interested in helping you” Howard replies. I move in a little closer to the door. Help with what? What are they talking about?

“Do you know who I am, Professor?” the man asks and the coldness in his voice makes chills run down my spine. My instincts awaken and scream to me, that this whole situation is wrong and that I need to get away from it now. My survival instinct is working hard to convince me, but I ignore it, as I stay put and continue to listen to the conversation.

“Yes, I know who you are and like I said; I am not interested in helping you. Please leave my office at once” Howard replies in a firm tone that indicated he wants to ends the conversation. A dark laughter seeps through the door and the sound makes the hairs on my arms arise. Fear tickles down my spine.

“We shall see” the man replies in a dead voice and I sense my clue to leave. But before I get the chance to turn around, the door opens and I gasp loudly in surprise. I lift my head and stares directly up into a pair of dark, deep eyes.

“What the fu... what do we have here?” the man in front of me asks in surprise, but before I can reply, Professor Howard speaks up.

“Arya! Why haven’t you left yet?” Howards says with blame in his voice and it sends a chill through me. My professor who’s usually so warm and nice. I’ve never heard him use that tone before. Not to me nor to anyone else. This is wrong. The whole situation is just wrong. I nod slowly and step back a bit, while I pull my gaze from those dark eyes and looks over at Howard. My sweet professor has a scared look on his face that makes me look at the stranger in front of me instead. The stranger is starring intensely at me and I know exactly what he sees; long, strawberry blonde hair. Green eyes. A round face with freckles on the cheeks. A height to match most men – if they aren’t as tall as _this_ stranger. A body with curves all the right places. His gaze searches over every inch of my body and leaves goose bumps all over my skin. Suddenly he starts to laugh and I level my confused gaze up at him in the same second as he grabs on to my arm in a hard grasp. All the warning signs in me are screaming in alarm and with good reason.

“Well, well, Professor, you have been a naughty boy” the man laughs and pulls me closer before he turns me around so I am pressed up against his hard body with my back against his broad chest. His arm has a firm hold around my waist and the strong muscles hold me tightly against him.

“Hey! Let me go!” I exclaim and start to twist to get free, but the man tightens his grip around me. I see Howard move slowly towards us and try again to get myself free. Then I feel the coldness of steel against my throat and all movements in the room ceases as a knife is pressed against my skin. Check.

“If you will calm down, Professor, your little Lolita here won’t be harmed” the man says as he tightens his hold around my waist even harder. So hard it hurts. He presses the air out of my lungs.

“Do not hurt her, she has nothing to do with this” Howards pleads and I feel my eyes gets wet with his words. No, I don’t. What have I been dragged into?

“She has now. I was ready to use more drastic methods to get you to cooperate, but it looks like all I need is this girl and you will do everything I say” the man replies and presses that cold steel harder in against my throat to underline his point. It works. I let out a low gasp and feel myself being pressed tighter into his hard, warm body, while Howard steps forward and I see the surrender in his eyes.

“Alright, alright” Howards exclaims while he holds his hands up in front of him in surrender, “do not harm her and I will agree to help you.”

I cannot see the man who is holding me, but I can sense his smile and the satisfaction in his attitude. Checkmate.

“Very well. Let’s go.”

His arm around my waist tightens again and I am being pulled backwards with a hard jerk. I grasp at his arm to hold my balance and notice briefly how soft the leather of his jacket is. We have left the office and are standing in the middle of the hallway, when I realise, that we are no longer alone. Out of nowhere it seems, three men steps out from the shadows and surrounds us. Two of them flank my poor professor and leads him down the hallway, while the third stops in front of me. He is tall, blonde and with a cheerful look in his blue eyes.

“Cute” he smiles and his eyes glances over my body before they settle on the man holding me against him. “Shall I take her?”

“No” the man behind me growls and blue-eyes nods in agreement, before he makes his way down the hallway. The arm around me tightens even further and I gasp for air.

“Keep your mouth shut and do exactly as I say, is that understood, _Arya_?” he whispers warmly in my ear. I want to reply, but my voice is paralysed with fear. I nod weakly. The man chuckles low and slowly lets the knife leave my throat. I take a deep breath and feel a little of the stiffness in my body ease. Just a little. Then he loosens the grip around my waist, but before I get a chance to react to my sudden freedom, he grabs both my wrists and forces my arms behind my back. In a grip of steel, he holds my hands tight against my lower back and pushes me forward down the hallway. I don’t have a choice here.

Out in front of the building, a black CR-V with darkened windows is parked with a running engine. The man pushes me through the rain and the door to the car is opened from within. I am pushed into the back seat with a hard shove. In the car sits the blonde and blue eyed man from before; the one who offered to ‘take me’. His smile widens and I sense that ‘take me’ has a double meaning. The man with the dark eyes places himself next to me and slams the door shut, before the car accelerates quickly. I am squeezed in between two large men; one more broad-chestsed than the other. My shoulders rub against both of them every time I move just a little so I try not to move at all. I stare straight ahead, but I sense both men’s gazes on my face and down my body. I pull my jacket closer to my chest and shut my eyes hard; completely incapable of understanding this horrible situation I suddenly find myself in the middle of.

The silence in the car is interrupted when my mobile phone starts to ring in my pocket. I almost scream in pure shock and reach down my pocket to pull it out, when a hard hand closes around my wrist. I stare up at the man with the dark eyes and that hard look on his face makes me more frightened.

“Give it to me” he snaps hard and I obey without hesitation. I pull the mobile phone from my pocket and hands it to the man, but I still manage to see who’s calling me: Martin. Shit. He must be so mad wondering where I am. And worried, probably. It might seem like me to forget the time, but never like this. Never this late. Not without letting him know. He really must be worried. The man takes the phone from me and turns it off immediately before putting it into his own jacket pocket. I dare to gaze up at him. And I regret it as soon as I do. Because he is good looking. _Very_ good looking. He radiates masculinity. His hair is dark, only a shade lighter than black and is cut short, but still have enough length to look a little ruffled. His dark eyes are intense and hard. His jaw line is wide and marked. Soft lips. A large, wide upper body hidden beneath a tight, dark red t-shirt and a black leather jacket. Light pre-washed jeans. Without doubt; one magnificent piece of hunk. The bottom of my belly tightens with the mere thought of his hard, strong arm around my waist. The second that thought goes through my head, the man turns his head in my direction and makes eye contact with me. I lower my gaze. What am I thinking, for fuck sake? How can I think like that about a man who threatens me, scares the shit out of me and who wants to hurt me? Who has kidnapped me, for fuck sake?! I scold myself, but do not make it halfway through my triad, when the car suddenly makes a hard turn and I feel myself being pressed hard up against blonde-and-blue-eyes. The man with the dark eyes quickly reaches out for me, grabs my wrist and pulls me back into the middle of the seat. Okay? I could have gotten up myself, thank you very much. What just happened?


	2. Obedience

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description, rape, forced sex.

We have been driving north for a few hours, when the car finally makes a stop. Dark-eyes once again grab my wrist while he opens the door. He roughly pulls me out of the car and once again my arms are being locked in a hard grip behind my back. This is becoming a bad habit. I sigh heavily, while the man pushes me forward towards the huge house we are parked in front of. Professor Howard is nowhere to be seen, but something tells me, that he can't be far away. The rain is falling heavily down on my jacket and my hair.

"Let's go" the man mumbles behind me and gives me a hard push up the wide staircase to the front door.

"Arya!" someone yells when I enter the large entrance and I turn my head towards the sound of my name.

"Professor, are you alright?" I ask with concern without thinking, but before Howard can answer me, my arms are being pulled backwards with great force and I cry out in pain. A large hand covers my mouth.

"Have you been told to say something, Arya?" the man hums angrily behind me and I shake my head so fast, that the raindrops spray from my hair.

"Then keep your mouth shut" he replies roughly and I nod eagerly. The man removes his hand from my mouth only to turn me around to face him. He raises his hand and I scream in surprise and pain as the backside of his hand hits my cheek. Shit! The man grabs both my upper arms and pulls me in close. His eyes are dark and hard as they stare down at me. I close my eyes while tears stream down my cheeks. My right cheek is burning from the pain but I am too scared to look up at my kidnapper. A few seconds later he releases his grip on me and I turn while I look for Professor Howard. More tears fill my eyes. My sweet, gentle professor’s face is a mask of sorrow and regret. I don’t even realize that I’ve reached out when I am grabbed from behind again and my hands are again locked into a tight grip. I’m pushed forward towards the stairs and up to the second floor, where my kidnapper almost throws me into a large room. A large bedroom. He doesn't release his hold on my hands while he slams the door behind us and keeps pushing me forward deeper into the room. All the way across the room until we reach the opposite wall from the door. The wall is bare and hard as I am being pressed frontally towards it. I turn my head and feel the cold bricks against my burning cheek, while my breasts are being pressed hard up against the wall. The man pushes his own body up close to mine; trapping me between it and the wall. I can feel his hard body against my softness and his warm breath against one of my ears.

"You promised to behave, Arya. But you didn't obey me" he whispers warmly with a hoarse voice and pushes his pelvis into my lower back. I gasp surprised when I feel that he is hard. Very hard. His hard cock pushes out against the jeans and I can clearly feel it even through my blouse and jacket. Shit!

“What are you…” I whisper, but my voice dies. I don’t even know what I’m asking. I don’t even know if I want to hear the answer. Because I have a pretty good idea about what he’s going to do now. Shit!

"I’m going to have to punish you, so you can learn how to obey me" he hums deeply in my ear and then he pushes himself off me. Goose bumps wander across my skin with the absence of that warm body behind me. He pulls me out from the wall and turns me around so I am standing right in front of a large king sized bed. Shit! He is really doing it. He is going to rape me. The thought terrifies me. Martin is the only man I have ever been sexual with and he is only into vanilla. I have never trusted anyone else enough to have sex with them and even with Martin it took over a year of trust before we had sex. I’ve never slept with anyone else; never had sex on the first date and never had sex with someone whose name I didn’t even know.

"Take off your jacket" he commands and is about to release my wrists, but then he adds; "slowly. And no sudden movements."

I do as he commands because what choice do I have? Slowly I lift my shaking hands and open my jacket. I let it slide down my arms and hear him hiss deeply behind me, when the jacket leaves my hands and falls onto the floor. In a quick movement he has caught a hold of my wrists again and he holds them tightly while I feel the rough rope being tied. Where did he get that from? The thought leaves my mind as soon as he is finished tying my hands and lets them go. I twist my arms, trying to get my hands free. Unsuccessfully. The rope is tightly bound and it tears my delicate skin. Shit. I’ve never been bound before. The man positions himself behind me and I feel his presence before I feel his rough hands on my shoulders. His hands slide forward and down to both of my breasts, and he squeezes them gently. I hear a faint moan leave his lips and feel myself being pushed backwards so that I once again can feel his hard erection against my lower back. His hands let go of my breasts and slide down my stomach. They lie flat on the bottom of my stomach and push my ass back against his pelvis. I involuntarily bend forward in my upper body to keep the balance and feel his cock slide down through my buttocks. Even through the fabric of both our jeans I can feel how hard he is. I shut my eyes hard and gasp softly in fear. His cock jerks at the sound and pushes harder against my buttocks as if it wants inside. His hands slide out to my hips and he pulls my jeans down in one fluent motion. I awkwardly step out of them and almost lose my balance, but the man grabs my bound hands and keeps my upright. Then his hands disappear from my body and I am left alone with fear pounding through me.

"I think you've seen enough now" he mumbles behind me. A large black scarf is bound around my head and covers my eyes. I am robbed of my sight and my movement, half-naked and completely left in the power of a stranger. The panic is really getting a hold on me now. I feel my breath catching, getting shallower and the goose bumps spread all over my skin.

"Hmm..." the man mumbles behind me, "I can smell your fear. It’s delicious."

I open my mouth to answer, but then I remember his no-talk-rule. Fuck. This can only end one way; badly. Very badly. My panic attack stops the second I feel his warm hands against my thighs. This is it. One hand grabs my hip while the other slides up my inner thigh and his fingers press hard against the panties covering my most private part. I gasp surprised and once again his cock jerks at the sound. It pushes against my ass while his palm presses hard against my most sensitive spot through the panties. I hear his satisfied hum behind me. Robbed of my vision and forbidden to speak, my hearing seems to be extra effective. I hear his lips part softly, I hear the sound of his jeans rubbing against my ass and I hear his rough skin ribbing lightly against the fine lace of my panties. He breathes heavily and I can feel his warm breath against the side of my neck.

"Spread your legs" he mumbles commandingly into my hair and I obey slowly, involuntarily and with panic pounding through my blood. His fingers slide in under my panties and I feel his hard fingers sliding down my crack, past my sensitive clitoris and they try to press up my heat. But I’m not wet. I’m probably too scared to get turned on if I wanted to. The man growls unsatisfied and he moves his hands as he pulls my panties down. Then I hear him spit. Oh. Shit. No. His fingers return to the spot between my legs and I can feel how the spit is helping one of them to enter me. I gasp in surprise and my knees buckle a bit over the sudden fulfillment as he presses another finger into me. Again, I feel his warm breath against the side of my neck before he scrapes his sharp teeth across my skin. A jolt goes through me and I gasp loudly, which amuses him more that I like. I don’t want to turn him on with my fear. He hums softly behind me; a low humming that sounds like a cat purring and then pulls his fingers out of me. I feel them running across my slightly separated lips.

"Lick them" he orders and I open my mouth to let his fingers in. My tongue licks over the rough fingers as I taste myself as well as his spit. Then I close my mouth around them and suck lightly. A jerk goes through his body and his free arm sneaks around my waist, as he pulls me backwards; close and tightly into him. His erection throbs against my lower back, while he presses his fingers all the way into my mouth and I feel his fingertips against the back of my throat. I almost gag on them. The man pulls out his fingers and lets go of my hip in one fluent movement. I gasp in fear. What will he do now? Then he removes himself from me completely. And the panic is back.

"Step forward, girl" he groans hard from somewhere behind me and I slowly take a few small steps forward. I don't know how far there is to the edge of the bed and I have no idea where the man is either. I stick my foot forward, trying to feel for the bed and feel the edge brush slightly at my knee. Suddenly I am pushed forward and I fall directly onto the bed without the possibility of softening the fall. Panic overtakes me completely and I quickly turn my head to one side so I can breathe. The man grabs my ankles and pulls me towards him; towards the edge of the bed. My knees hit the floor while my upper body is lying on the bed. It's quite uncomfortable lying like this. My panties are pulled down. I am naked from the waist down and the position gives me a horrible feeling of being on display. I feel his hard hands on my buttocks a moment before he grabs my thighs and spread my legs. 'Shit' is the only word in my mind. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"AH!" I yell loudly, as a hard slap lands on my right buttock and before I can catch my breath, another slap; this time on my left buttock. Another one on the right. And then on the left. I take every slap he gives me without any screams or objections. Because I don’t want him to see how weak I am and I most certainly don’t want him to get more turned on by my pain. I exhale slowly. Five hits on each buttock. When he is finished, I cannot help it as a moan from the pain escape my lips and I wrist my arms. Without result. They're still bound. The man grabs my hands and pulls me up on my knees.

"Ten slaps for disobedience" he growls and caresses one of my buttocks with his free hand.

"Every time you disobey me, I will punish you. When you understand what I say, say "yes, D". Say it now."

"Yes, D" I whisper and my eyes are getting wet under the scarf.

"Good. Now get off the floor" he replies with a hard voice and I struggle to stand.

"Sit on your knees on the bed.”

I obey by gently crawling up onto the bed. It's not easy without my hands to help me, but I still manage to get onto the bed pretty quickly. The man takes another hold on the robe around my hands.

"Lean forward" he orders and I slowly begin to lean forward. His grip on the rope prevents me from falling headfirst straight into the bed again. I turn my head as he lets go of the robe. I lie on my knees with my head down, my legs slightly spread and my ass up in his face. I hear the zipper in his pants being opened and feel the bed move as he sits behind me on his knees. His hands grab my hips and then I feel his hard, thick cock press against my lower lips to be let into my heat. Without thinking I try to move forward, but his grip around my hips prevents me from moving.

"Lie still" he growls. His cock slides past my labia and penetrates me slowly but hard. I moan quietly from the pain of being filled even though the spit on his cock makes it slide in relatively easily. He leans in over me and I feel his breath against my shoulder.

"You are _so_ tight" he whispers hoarsely and I close my eyes. Not that he can see it through the scarf anyway. I have never had any other man than Martin inside of me. He’s the only one. This whole situation is so scary and so unfamiliar that my body doesn’t know how to respond. On one hand it’s exiting or maybe not exactly _exiting_ but then interesting, so feel someone else like this. A complete stranger; a hard, strong and masculine stranger. But on the other hand... I didn’t agree to this. I didn’t have a say in it. I didn’t consent. This is technically rape.

The man straightens again and begins to move in long, slow movements. Almost all the way out and then all the way in deep. I gasp silently every time he comes in deep. D sets a higher pace and slams into me harder and harder with every trust. He's playing on the edge of my limit and something horrible happens; I get wet. My body betrays me. And I am secretly grateful for the betrayal. If I had been dry while he was pounding into me like this... The thought of the pain is almost unbearable. He slows his pace again and his hands let go of my hips. I feel one of his hands against my left buttock and the second after I feel a cold liquid dripping down on my ass. Directly down to my tight asshole. The panic starts to spread through my blood and fear runs through my entire body. My fears are confirmed when I feel a thick finger circles around my asshole. Fuck no. I _do not_ want this.

"No..." I whisper horrified and I try to move forward in the bed. Smack! A hard slap, harder than before, lands on my right buttock and I scream loudly from the pain.

"Lie still, girl, or I will punish you harder than before. Is that understood?" he mumbles with hard and cold words. My eyes get wet.

"Yes, D" I whisper horrified. Satisfied with my obedience, his hand grabs my hip and pulls me back towards his cock. And again his thick finger circles around my asshole. I breathe frantically, while my brain tries to come up with an escape but its finding none. There is no way out. There is no escape. I am trapped, bound and unable to prevent what's happening to my body. The tip of his thick finger presses into my ass and I scream in surprise and pain. The tip slides through my sphincter and his whole finger is pressed into my exposed ass. D lets his finger rest for a while, while his cock pushes into me a few times. Then his finger starts to follow the rhythm of his cock and I moan from pain. This is _not_ comfortable. This hurts. How can anyone enjoy anal sex? It hurts! D pulls his finger out of my ass and the relief flows through my blood. But it only lasts a second. Then I feel another pressure press against my asshole, but this time there isn't just one finger. D presses two fingers into my sensitive asshole and I vigorously twist my hands, trying again to find an escape. But with the same result as before. His fingers press into my ass and the tears are like a waterfall into the scarf. I am powerless. D has the full power over me and he can do whatever he wants with me. And he does. His fingers follow their own pace with his cock awkwardly pumping in and out of me. His full focus is on the fingers in my ass, I have no doubt about that. And slowly I realise that I am losing my anal virginity. D is going to fuck me in the ass. The panic rushes through me with vigour and the powerlessness is paramount.

"Arya?" calls D hard and I jerk in surprise.

"Yes, D" I reply without thinking. I sense his smile behind me.

"I want to fuck you in the ass. You don't mind, do you?" he says with a voice that is both teasing and serious at the same time. Fuck. Do I even have any reply options?

"Yes, D" I reply honestly and feel his mood change. My disobedience doesn't suit him. He pushes his fingers deeper into my ass, as far as he can and spreads them. I scream from pain as I am pushed forward in the bed.

"What was that, Arya? I said: I want to fuck you in the ass. You don't mind, do you?" he repeats louder and I moan painfully.

"No, D" I reply with strained voice and my obedience is received with a weak laugh.

"Good girl" he whispers weakly and holds his cock still, while his fingers move effortless in and out of my asshole. Then he pulls both his cock and his fingers out of my holes. I breathe heavily. This is it. He is going to press his thick cock into my asshole and fuck me until I pass out from pain. Maybe if I’m lucky he’ll kill me afterwards. D's hands spread my buttocks and I take a deep breath, waiting. Then I feel the warm head of his cock press against my asshole, begging to be let into my ass. My whole body is tiff, my muscles are tense and I am awaiting the pain with fear.

"Relax" be growls behind me, "it'll hurt less."

I try. I really do. But it is impossible for my body to relax. D's cock presses hard against my asshole and suddenly my muscles give in to the pressure. I scream loudly as the head enters my ass and I hear D moan deeply behind me. More cold liquid is poured over my ass before D takes a good grip around my hip with his left hand. I am being held down. I cannot prevent his thick cock from entering my ass. Slowing every inch of his cock enters my ass and I scream into the bed as I twist my arms.

"Oh fuck" D groans behind me and presses his cock all the way in. I can feel his heavy sack against my hot opening; the hair tickles my clitoris, that's how deep he is.

"Am I the first one in your ass?" he asks strained and I nod eagerly.

"What was that?" he asks hard and a slap lands on my left buttock. Not that I can feel the pain from it. The only thing I can feel is his thick cock buried deep in my ass. Another slap.

"Yes, D!" I scream as he begins to pull his cock out of my ass. He is almost completely out when he pushes himself into my ass again. I scream loudly in pain and twist my hands, while I try to move my ass forward. His firm grip on my hip prevents me from doing so. I silence my prayers and begging. It won't do any good anyway. Almost completely out. And then all the way back in. D fucks my ass in long, agonising thrusts and slowly I start to feel the pain lessen a little. My asshole has stretched itself adapted to the enormous size of his cock and it no longer hurts as much. But it's not exactly comfortable either. Slowly, D pulls his cock out of my tender asshole and I breathe a sigh of relief, surprised that I've held my breath for so long. Strong hands grab my hips and move me, so I lie on my knees again but in the opposite direction in the bed. I have a faint idea that I am lying with my head against the foot of the bed, but I'm not sure. I am completely disorientated and the only thing I can feel is the pain in my ass and my gradually more painful wrists. The rope hurts. The bed moves again and I feel D's hands on my buttocks again. He caresses them sweetly and lets his hands slide up, well, down my bound arms and back to my hips again. Then he once again spreads my buttocks but to my great surprise it's not my ass he penetrates. His cock press into my wet heat and I moan in surprise. It feels so good. Damned good. I’ll never admit it to him or anyone else, but the feeling is so far from the painful rape of my asshole that I can’t hate him for it. I am hyper sensitive and D takes advantage of it. It’s a strange feeling to be turned on by something that you don’t like, but I guess the body reacts to stimuli and my body is helping me through this the best it can. D thrusts hard and long into me, with a good grip on my hips, and I don’t hate it as much as I should have. I kinda enjoy it. Somewhat, anyway. Suddenly he stops all movements and pulls his cock out of me again. Shit. We were doing so well.

"Mmm I'm not finished with your ass just yet. It needs to be fucked some more, don't you agree, girl?" D asks with calm voice. No, no, no. My eyes get wet again.

"Yes, D" I whisper half-heartedly and my body tightens again. D's laughter is short-lived and stops the moment his cock pushes against my ass. This time he slips into me without any hassle, but the pain is back. I cry out in pain and feel his cock jerk. He pushes himself all the way into me. Then slowly out to the edge. And all the way back in, all the while he moans deeply. His hands grip my hips harder.

"You are so sweet to fuck, girl, I love how you turn me on" he mumbles behind me, but I don't really register the words. My whole focus is on the hard cock raping my aching asshole again and again. I pray an unspoken prayer; let his finish soon. As if I'm that lucky. D finds a steady rhythm and I accept his pace without a word. I am numb; a shell of myself and it doesn't feel like I'm still here. But the second I hear the door squeak, every cell in my body comes alive. I stop breathing and listen intensely to the sounds in the room. The door squeaks again and I feel D's attention shift away from me, yet he's not pulling out of my ass. Shit! What’s going on? The floor squeaks again as a pair of heavy boots walks across it. Oh shit. We are no longer alone. What's going to happen now? The panic rushes through me and I feel my cheeks burn bright red. The redness spreads down over my neck and across my chest and my breast, which fortunately is pressed down against the bed so no one can see. Whoever has entered the bedroom can see everything else, but not that. I'm breathing heavily. The fear has taken control of my breathing and without thinking; I begin to twist my arms to get free. I try to escape even though I know it’s futile. The floor squeaks again, this time the boots move away from the bed, towards the other end of the room. I pray to hear the door squeak again, but all I hear is silence. Silence and the heavy breathing of D and the rapid breathing of myself. D grabs the robe again and pulls me up from the bed. I feel eyes on my body, but the only thing I can see myself is the darkness behind the scarf. D moves again. He pulls out of my tender ass and I feel the bed moving as he rises. Then he grabs the robe with one hand and the other sneaks around my waist. He pulls me down from the bed and pushes me around until I stand at the foot of the bed. I think. The floor behind me creaks; I feel D's warm body right behind me. Again, I feel a hungry gaze on my body and I am reminded that we are still not alone. Whoever entered the room is in front of me somewhere and he or she, but I’m pretty sure it’s a man, has a full view of my half-naked body. D's hands slide onto my stomach and I feel his knees against the back of my thighs. My blouse is pulled all the way up and my bra is pulled down, so my breasts are being released from the captivity of the bra. D massages my breasts from behind. He gently squeezes my sensitive nipples and I whine at the pain. I hear a deep breathing in front of me. _Shit_.

"Sit your ass down on my cock" D orders while he sits down on the bed and I awkwardly stumble backwards. D guides me down over him and slowly his cock penetrates my ass again. He spreads my legs all the way to both sides and whoever is in front of us, now has the full view of everything I have to show. My hands are pulled backwards so I lie halfway across D's huge body, while his cock slowly moves in my ass. Without a word, D pulls further back on the bed and I am pulled with. Then he places my feel on both sides of his thighs and I am exposed even further. He holds my upper body slightly above his own and uses his control over my arms to lift me up and down his cock. He moana deeply and his movements become wilder. Finally. He's about to come. The relief flushes through me, but it is short-lived. D slows his pace again as if he wants to prolong the pleasure. I nearly cry from frustration. His hand releases my hip and suddenly the scarf is untied. I blink repeatedly to slowly adjust my eyes to the sudden light and then I open my eyes completely. The lighting in the bedroom is dimmed so my eyes adjust quickly and seek forward. In the other end of the bedroom, about 3 meters from me, blue-eyes is leaning against the wall. His eyes meet mine and hold on to them. His gaze is hungry. There is absolutely no doubt about him enjoying the show in front of him. He enjoys it very much. There is a huge bulge in his jeans and his eyes shine brightly. I shut my eyes. This is too much. I am humiliated, exhibited and used. _Raped_.

"Arya..." D whispers behind me.

"Yes, D" I reply with hoarse voice and feel D's hand slide over my stomach. His fingers slide down towards my opening and slowly two fingers enters my heat. I open my eyes in surprise over the sudden fulfillment. D grumbles satisfied behind me.

"You've obeyed me well, girl. And because you've been such a good girl, I'll give you a reward. All you have to do is look at James while you get it. Can you do that, _Arya_?" D's voice is hot and seductive. My name on his lips makes is shudder inside me. Why does he have to say my name so urgently? I wish he could call me ‘girl’ instead. Him saying my name like that feels like another rape.

"Yes, D" I whisper weakly and look at James. His gaze is hungry. I blush deeply.

"That’s my girl" D whispers behind me, before he pulls his fingers out of me and lays them hard against my clitoris. I scream loudly in surprise.

"Careful, please, D..." I whisper pleadingly and D eases the pressure on my clitoris a bit. He begins to move his cock in my ass while his fingers move in small circular movements against my most sensitive place. My gaze is locked with James'. His lips turn up in a lumbering smile and his eyes sparkle. They've done this before. With other women… _many_ other women... I have absolutely no doubt about that. This situation is so familiar to them because I can feel or see no embarrassment or insecurity in any of them right now. I’m definitely not the first woman they’ve raped like this and I probably won’t be the last either. The knowledge of that only makes it so much worse. D's fingers demand my full attention by its seductive and constant rhythm, and soon I begin to fell a slow humming in my abdomen. I breathe heavily and shut my eyes hard, but then remember D's condition and force them open again. I stare at James without any idea of what expression is on my face. The light humming increases. It becomes more powerful and I am well aware of what's happening. I recognise the onset of an orgasm and completely surrender myself to D's treatment of my body. I don’t want to orgasm, or course I don’t, but my body is begging for the release. I try to keep my eye contact with James, but it's so hard. I am so close to orgasm and I just want to throw my head back and let go.

"You're close, aren't you, girl?" D groans behind me and shifts the pace with his fingers. I lose the orgasm and let out a frustrated scream. D chuckles satisfied behind me.

"You are not allowed to cum without permission. You have to ask for _my_ permission and I must grant it to you. If you cum without permission, I will punish you for it. Is that understood, girl?"

D resumes his firm rhythm and my body obeys.

"Yes, D" I whisper obediently and my eyes glide back to James as I feel my body get warm again. James' eyes are shiny, almost shimmering while he looks at me with greediness all over his face. I feel the heat in my abdomen become more intense and my muscles begin to contract.

"D..." I plead, "may I cum?"

D prolongs the torture. He's keeping me on the edge of the orgasm and every time I am seconds from cuming, he changes his finger’s pace and I lose it. His cock's constant thrusts in my ass are boardering painful and James' hungry gaze is so humiliating. I am pushed way beyond my own limit. And D knows it.

"Please... D... Can I cum?" I beg weakly and moan louder as D resumes his circular movements.

"You can cum" he groans strained and without any warning what so ever, my body is set on fire and I forget all about rape, orders and conditions. I squeeze my eyes shut as I scream my orgasm out into the room with a shaking voice. My muscles pull tightly around D's cock and I feel it jerk hard, while his roar fills my ears. Slowly, my heart rate drops to an almost normal level and D's hands grab mine before he unties the rope. He grabs my hips and lifts me off his now half-soft cock. Apparently he came too. I whine slightly of pain when D's cock leaves my sore and extended asshole. He lays me laid down on the bed and I close my eyes while trying to understand what just happened. The floor creaks again, and then I hear the door close. James has left the bedroom. D's rough hands slide over my stomach and he gently caresses my breasts.

"These didn't get enough attention this time" he says hoarsely, and I open my eyes a bit to look at D. His gaze is dark, darker than I remember it and his lips crouches into a faint smile.

"I'll have to remember that for next time" he smiles and bends down over me. His lips catch one of my nipples and he licks it wet while he sighs with satisfaction. Then he lifts his head to mine. The strong hands grab the edge of my blouse and pull it over my head. He removes my bra and lowers his head to my face again. His breath is warm against my lips.

"You are exquisite, Arya. I am _so_ looking forward to exploring you a lot more" he smiles before he lowers his lips on mine. My body is used. Good and thoroughly. I'm sore, tired, humiliated and a bit embarrassed by my body's reactions. So I accept his kiss without protest. D pulls his head away from mine and I keep my eyes shut. A heavy duvet is pulled over my tired body.

"Sleep" D mumbles and kisses me gently on the forehead.

"Thank you, D" I mumble weakly, while I yawn loudly. A warm hand brushes my cheek, but then I surrender completely to the sleep and welcome the darkness of nothing into my mind.


	3. The exchange

My body wakes up slowly and the first thing I notice is pain. Everywhere. Especially between my legs. And in my ass. Flashbacks run through my head and I relive D’s hour-long rape in seconds. Then I open my eyes. I’m still lying in D’s bed with the duvet wrapped around me like a toga. The warm rays of the sun shine sharply through the window and I sigh slowly. It wasn’t a dream. This is my reality. I tighten the muscles in my abdomen in an effort to get up, but every muscle in my body hurts. Pain. _Everywhere_. I moan loudly and with great effort I awkwardly pull myself up from the bed while I look around. The bedroom is empty; there is only me and my pain. I notice another door in the room and slowly get off the bed while I tense up from pain. The door leads to a bathroom and the idea of hot water against my sore muscles seems heavenly at the moment. I step directly into the shower and turn on the hot water as I lean into the cold tiles with my back and sink down to the floor. The water is warm in no time and I run the scalding rays across my sensitive skin, leaving it red and tender. My ass is sore. My buttocks are sore. Everything is sore. I look down. My wrists are red, swollen and the hit of bruises has begun to appear. Shit. I look like a rape victim.

I finish my bath way too soon and pull a towel around my body. I have just tied a knot on the front of the towel over my beasts, when I hear the door from the hallway to the bedroom open with a squeak. I nearly scream in surprise and pull the towel closer to my body.

“Arya?” calls a voice and I stand completely still. Then the big body of James appear in the doorway to the bathroom.

“There you were. Are you okay?” he asks worried and I nod without words. What is he doing here? My eyes get a bit wet. Am I okay?

“D asked me to show you the kitchen in case you’re hungry. So if you put on some clothes, I’ll show you the way” James says with a crooked smile and his eyes glaze over my towel-covered body. The heat blushes to my cheeks and I quickly lower my eyes, as flashbacks to his hungry gaze from last night run through my head. I’m glad he’s not here to do something about that hungry gaze of his. I nod softly and follow James back into the bedroom where I look for my clothes. But I can’t find it.

“Ahm James?” I ask weakly, “I don’t have any clothes.”

James turns his head towards me and his eyes flash with amusement.

“Wait here” he answers and disappears into the hallway. I slowly sit down on the edge of the bed and pull the towel closer to my body. Luckily the towel is large enough to cover my naked thighs. Well, almost. James comes back a few moments later with a brown moving box in his hands. I stare at the box without understanding as he puts it down in front of me. Then I reach down with one hand to open the box and look at the content. My eyes flash up to James’.

“Don’t look at me like that, girl, it’s not mine. I’m not _that_ perverted” he laughs and points down at the box. “It’s your own clothes.”

My confusion grows further as I take another look at the clothes in the box. James is right. It _is_ my clothes. Where in the world have they gotten a hold of my clothes?

“I didn’t know what you liked to wear most, so I just gathered a little bit of everything in this one when I packed up your things. The rest is in the other boxes downstairs. I’ll have them brought up to you later” James says and I let my hand rustle through the clothes. _My_ clothes.

“Have you... have you been in my apartment to collect my clothes?” I ask baffled and try to imagine James’ big body in my small apartment in the centre of Oxford where I live with... shit! Martin!

“Yeah your boyfriend did look a bit funny when I knocked on the door and told him why I was there” James says in response to my unspoken thoughts.

“But I told him you aren’t coming back and that you’d sent me to collect your things. He wasn’t happy about that to be honest.”

“What did you do to him?” I snap hard but James holds up his hands in defence.

“Nothing. Truthfully. I just collected your things and left.”

Martin... poor oblivions Martin. Surprised and caught off guard by overwhelming James. Lucky for Martin it wasn’t D who decided to pick up my things. Then he probably would have fainted on the spot.

“I don’t quite understand. What are all my clothes doing here? What do you mean I’m ‘not coming back’? D is going to let me go as soon as Professor Howard has done whatever it is he needs him to do, right?” I ask with weak voice and look up at James pleadingly. James’ eyes are hard with a touch of compassion. And then it hits me. The truth. Shit. I close my eyes in agony.

“D isn’t going to let me go, is he?”

It’s not even a question. Because I know the answer already. I shake my head in disbelief. Shit.

“Don’t think about it, Arya. Now get some clothes on that body of yours and then we can get some food” James reply and I nod silently, before I start to empty the box of my clothes. First I find some underwear, one of my favourite set is neatly folded and I take it out to lay it on the bed. Then I find a long maxi dress usually worn in the summer season, but I doubt I will be let out of this house anyway. So I go for the dress. I arise from the bed and wait for James to turn around or leave the room. He does neither. I sigh deeply. He is going to stand right there in front of me while I get dressed. On the other hand, it’s not like he hasn’t seen everything I have to show anyway. But I don’t want him to see it again. I pull up the panties still wearing the towel and when they are up, I slowly let the towel fall to the floor. My sore breasts nearly sigh as they are released and I see James’ eyes slide across my almost-naked body. I hurry in putting on the bra and pull the dress over my head. It’s a simple white summer dress with huge colourful flowers all over it. I find a white cardigan in the box and puts in on with awkward movements. It hurts. Everywhere. Then I find a pair of cosy socks in the box, white to match the dress, and quickly put them on before turning towards James. His smile is too satisfied but he says nothing.

James leads me down the long corridor and I move slowly down the many sets of stairs to the ground floor, to the huge entryway where the front door is. I desperately look towards it but James’ voice requires my attention.

“The door to the right leads to the large living room. The door to the left takes us to the kitchen. Come on” says James and I follow him silently into the kitchen. It’s a large kitchen, bright and modern. In the middle of the room is a large table with seating for at least 8 and the large American fridge-freezer dominates an entire wall.

“Can I...?” I ask and point to the fridge.

“Yeah absolutely. Help yourself to whatever you want. Make something if you want it hot” James reply and I nod in response. James pulls out a chair by the large table as I walk over to the fridge and opens it to locate some ingredients for my breakfast.

*

“Do you want some?” I ask as I scrape the last of the fried eggs off the pan and take the plate from the kitchen counter. I turn around and look at James awaiting his reply. He stares at me with a puzzled expression on his face. I offer him food, what’s wrong with that? Maybe he’s not hungry? Or maybe I’m just reading into his face because of this whole situation. And seriously? How can I be so calm about it? James really does look at me like he can’t believe that I’ve just offered him some of my food. It’s not like I’ve poisoned it. Even if I had the chance I would never ruin good food with poison. I sit down at the large table and put the plates with egg and bacon in front of me. James clears his throat a bit and finds his voice again.

“Only after you’ve eaten” he replies quietly, nodding to the plate; “eat, Arya.”

I shrug and reach out for the fork. When I’ve eaten about a third of everything on the plates, I put down the fork and push the plates away from me, towards James.

“Are you done?” he asks warmly and I nod, while I take the last sip of my juice.

“Yes, thank you, I’m full” I reply. James seems to assess my honesty for a moment before lifting his own fork and then he starts to eat. His eyes does not waver from me, not one second while he eats, just like he didn’t look anywhere else but at me while I ate a minute ago. I move a little uncomfortably in the chair under his intense stare and feel my ass hurt by the movement. But the way James is staring at me... it’s uncomfortable. Look somewhere else, for fuck sake. James has just put down his fork, when he grabs my hand from across the table and looks at me seriously. With sincerity in his blue eyes, he slightly bends his head towards me and mumbles something incomprehensible in a language I cannot understand, nor recognise. But I do understand the meaning; he is thanking me for the food. James closes his eyes briefly and then he looks at me again. His eyes are warm and smiling. He’s never looked at me like that before and it’s a bit less uncomfortable than the intense stare from before.

“Ahm you’re welcome?” I whisper and James’ smile grows even wider. The door to the hallway opens and D’s huge body enters the kitchen, which suddenly seems smaller. His dark eyes scan everything from the used pan on the stove to James’ hands still closed over mine. James releases them instantly and I turn halfway towards D, whose eyes do not seem too happy about what they see.

“I was thanking Arya for the food she had prepared and which she shared with me” James explains to D with affection in his voice and D’s dark eyes hold mine. The dissatisfaction in them is replaced with something else, something milder but I cannot read what it is. Surprise? Wonder? Admiration?

“Have you eaten?” he asks hard, but before I can reply, James speaks up for me.

“Yes, she ate first and I made sure she was full before I ate myself” James replies and I look at him, wondering what that was about. Then I look at D again. The conversation makes no sense to me at all and I sense there is more to this that I am aware. Something unspoken between the two men that is unknown to me. But the intention in letting the woman eat before a man eats, feels kinda familiar to me. Have I read it in a book once, maybe? Seen it in a movie? James gets up and leaves the kitchen without further words. D is standing less that a meter from me, his big body seems even larger than I remember, or maybe he just seems larger from my view sitting at the table and him standing in front of me. Without words, D takes a step towards me and leans down over me. He places one hand on the edge of the table and the other on the back of the chair. I can almost feel the warmth of his body so close to mine and his dark eyes brings back memories of the rape. Fear pounds through my blood.

“You are scared, girl” D whispers and I stare up at him in surprise.

“I can see and hear it from your body’s reactions. Your skin is flushed, your breath is a little faster and your muscles are tense. But what gives me the best knowledge of your fear, is your eyes. Those beautiful green eyes... so innocent and so strong. Hmmm. The shine from fear, Arya.”

I look down immediately. Damn way of saying my name. A slow laughter rumbles through D’s throat.

“Your things from the apartment are here. Do you want to look at them before I have them carried to the room?” D asks and I nod slowly while I keep looking at my hands.

“Look at me” D orders with a hard voice and I can’t do anything but obey. I lift my eyes.

“I said; your things from the apartment are here. Do you want to look at them before I have them carried to the room?”

“Yes, D” I whisper slowly and D smiles at my obedience.

“That’s my girl” he replies satisfied and reaches down a hand to me. I hesitate in putting my own into his and D loses his patience as pulls me up from the chair. I winch from pain. D quickly steps behind me, grabs my hips and pushes his pelvis up against my ass. I winch again.

“Sore?” he whispers warmly into my ear and I nod slowly. D’s hands tighten their grip on my hips.

“Yes, D” I reply quickly and close my eyes. I have to learn to remember it. D growls satisfied and plants a warm kiss on the side of my neck. Did he just kiss me on the neck? Is that normal behaviour towards your kidnapping-slash-rape-victim? Then he lets go of my hips and grabs my wrist. I winch again and try to pull my wrist out of his hand. D turns towards me, dissatisfied with my reaction until he looks down at my wrist. He grabs my fingers and turns my hand around. I see his eyes harden from the sight of my red and swollen wrist, which has only become bluer since this morning. Then he grabs for my other hand and stares at both of my wrists. His gaze lifts to mine and holds my eyes for a brief moment. Then he let one of my hands go and close his fingers around my other hand. As if we are holding hands. Which we technically are. This is too weird. Does he have a bad conscience because my wrists are bruised? And he kisses me on the neck? And now we’re holding hands. What are we – lovers? Reverse Stockholm-syndrome, maybe?

D pulls me out of the kitchen and out to the hallway where all the moving boxes are neatly stacked to the side. Shit, is all that mine? But before I get a chance to react to the sight of all the boxes, the door to the living room opens and Professor Howard enters the hallway with the same two men who led him away last night. Has it really only been that short period of time?

“Professor!” I exclaim in surprise and immediately feel D tighten his grip on my hand. Shit, I wasn’t thinking.

“Arya!” Professor Howard yells and his eyes become anxious. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

I feel my eyes get wet as I remember everything from last night, but I still shake my head. I can’t bear to tell Howard. He would feel guilty and I don’t want that on his conscience. As I nod, I see the relief in Howard’s eyes. Then he looks at D and his eyes get harder.

“Alright, Dragan, I have done what you asked me to. You can let Arya go now, her presence has served its purpose” says Howard with hard voice. Dragan?

“That is not something you should concern yourself with, professor. My men will escort you back to Oxford. I thank you for your help” Dragan politely but coldly replies while he tightens the grip on my fingers even more. It hurts. Not hat I'm going to tell him.

“But –“ Howard begins before he is interrupted by Dragan’s fast movement. He is behind me in seconds, his arm around my waist and out of nowhere he now has a broad-bladed knife in his hand. A knife which he carefully presses against my throat. I gasp loudly. Déjà-vu. Professor Howard closes his mouth hard.

“Goodbye Professor” Dragan says with hard voice and Howard sends me one last anxious look, but my attention is elsewhere. I see one of Dragan’s men keep eye contact with Dragan and his gaze quickly flips towards Howard and then back to Dragan. Shit. Something is about to happen and it can’t be good. Then I feel Dragan nod and I see the determination in the man’s eyes. I see his hand disappear behind his back and the second after I see a black gun in his hand.

“No, D, don’t!” I whisper horrified and Dragan’s body stiffen.

“Wait” he calls to his man, who has just lifted the gun to Howard’s back. He lowers it again and I breathe out in relief.

“Turn around” Dragan orders with hard voice and moves the knife slightly off my throat, just enough for me to be able to turn around in his arms. I lift my head and stare into those dark eyes.

“What was that, Arya?” Dragan asks seriously and I open my mouth. But before I answer, I realise what the hardness in his eyes want; obey and surrender.

“Please don’t hurt the professor. He has done what you asked. I have done _everything_ you asked. Please don’t hurt him, D, _please_ ” I whisper and feel my eyes get wet as the words leave my mouth. I don’t know why I’m begging to a man who has kidnapped and raped me. Will he even care? Dragan stares at me, hard and for a long time.

“That was a sweet request, girl” he replies mumbling and pauses briefly as if to consider it, before he continues; “if I let the naughty professor go unharmed, you will stay with me.”

Another short pause, this time for me so the words can sink in. I stare at him in horror, unable to understand what he is saying. And yet, the meaning of it is so clear. It’s an exchange; Professor Howard’s life for mine.

“A life for a life. What do you say, girl?” Dragan asks expectantly and I blink rapidly, as the first tear slowly makes its way down my cheek. I close my eyes. I don’t have a choice, do I? I open my eyes again and look up at the dangerous man who has the absolute power over me. No. I really don’t have a choice.

“I agree” I whisper and a broad smile spreads around Dragan’s lips. I sink hard. What have I done? I’ve sold my soul to the Devil. Exchanged my worthless life for Professor Howard. Wise and gentle Professor Howard who could never hurt a fly. It’s a fair exchange. Dragan looks over my head. The triumph and arrogance radiates off him.

“Marcus, take the professor back to the university. Make sure he doesn’t remember the way. And explain the rules to him” he commands hard and I slowly close my eyes. I feel Dragan’s eyes on me and look up at him.

“Turn around and say goodbye to your dear professor” he whispers urgently and I obey immediately. I turn around in his arms and look towards Professor Howard. My mentor.

“Goodbye Professor” I whisper, while another tear rolls down my cheek.

“Arya...” Professor Howard whispers and nods gratefully to me. Then he looks at Dragan, hatred filling his gentle eyes but we both know that he can’t do anything about it.

“She just saved your life, Professor” Dragan says casually before Howard is pushed out the door by Marcus and another man. I am left alone with the Devil, who now owns my soul. Dragan lets the edge of the sharp knife slide gently from my stomach up my dress, up through my breasts. It gently tears over the soft skin of my breasts, up along my neck and across my cheek. I hold my breath in fear of what he might do. His arm tightens its grip around me.

“I don’t like to be told what to do, girl” he growls angrily and I sink hard while I close my eyes.

“But in this case it ended to my advantage. Remember your promise and I will remember not to hurt Professor Howard. If you forget yours, then I will forget mine too. Is that understood?”

Dragan’s voice is hard and serious. I almost nod.

“Yes, D” I whisper weakly and Dragan lets the knife fall down his side. I exhale in relief. Then he loosens his grip around me.

“So, you had some boxes to look at?” he asks and the heavy mood in the room lifts. Mood swings, much? I nod weakly and take a few steps towards the boxes.

“Can I look at them up in the bedroom?” I ask carefully and look up at Dragan. His eyes are reading my sincerity for a few seconds before he nods. As answering an unspoken call, James appears in the hallway.

“Let us carry Arya’s boxes up to the bedroom” Dragan says to James, who nods and grabs the first box. I bow down to take a box, when Dragan’s huge hand closes around me wrist.

“No” he says hard and I release the box immediately. Then he grabs the box himself and begins the ascend up the staircase. I stand a little out of place, feeling uncomfortably alone in the hallway. Then a sudden thought strikes me and I glance towards the front door. Shit. My promise. I cannot run from him. How am I supposed to keep that promise? All I want to do is run towards that front door in my fuzzy socks and keep running until I fall from exhaustion. My mind goes back to Professor Howard’s anxious look when he saw me with Dragan. And that hate in his eyes before he left. As if he knew what kind of a man Dragan is and what he intends to do to me. Not knowing that he’s already done it. Yes, the only thing I want to do is run screaming for the hills. Every cell in my body is screaming to me to run, run as far as I can to get away from Dragan and a life as his sex-slave. The thought of living in this violent world makes something click into place inside of me, even though my fear for Howard’s life overshadows everything. So I stay still, standing in the middle of the hallway and close my eyes hard while the tears stream down my cheeks.

“Arya?”

The sound of my name makes me open my eyes quickly. Dragan is standing right in front of me, so close that I should have heard him come down the stairs or felt the warmth of his body so close to mine. Dragan’s dark eyes shine with worry, as if he is concerned about me. Which is ridiculous, I know. Why would a rapist care about his victim crying? He glances towards the still unlocked front door and then back to my wet eyes. He smiles widely.

“You had the chance to escape. And you didn’t. You wouldn’t have gotten far, of course, but you didn’t run. I am very impressed. You must really care for the old man” says Dragan with astonishment in his voice and I nod softly.

“Yes, D” I whisper with hoarse voice and look up at him. His eyes glow towards me.

“Go into the living room and wait. I’ll come get you when we are done” Dragan says with calm voice and I nod while I reply “Yes, D” again. Then I turn and open the door to the living room. The room is large, larger than I would have guessed. I don’t really notice that much of the decor, my attention is focused on the large red velvet couch dominating one of the sides. I let my sore and exhausted body sink into the soft pillows and lean back while I sign deeply. What have I done? How did I end here? I notice a pack of cigarettes on the table. Sure, why not? I quit because of the health risks, but that doesn’t seem to matter anymore. I probably won’t be alive for much longer anyway. I reach out for the pack and the lighter, and without thinking further, I light the first cigarette. I inhale deeply. And cough myself to dead. Okay, maybe it’s been too long since I last had a cigarette. But then I take another drag at the smoke and feel the old habit return. And I enjoy it again. Maybe too much. The last twenty-four hours have gone too fast. My body can’t keep up. And my emotions can’t keep up either. I allow myself to dwell for a second on the thought of Martin. Poor Martin. After everything he has been thought for me over the past three years. And then to be left this way. It’s not fair. He doesn’t deserve it. And Dragan? How the hell can I be so calm around him? He’s raped me, for fuck sake. Kidnapped me, forced me, humiliated me... And still, I don’t run the first chance I get. Something inside me is screaming for me to stay here. Screaming that I will find safety here. That feeling of safety that I have been searching for my whole life. Can I really find it here? The feeling of safety seems just outside my reach. Like, if I grasp for it, it slips away. Like an eel in water... I extinguish the cigarette in the ashtray, just as Dragan enters the living room.

“I didn’t know you smoked” he says surprised and I shrug nonchalant. Dragan takes a few steps towards the couch and reach out a hand to me. I hesitate and Dragan reaches down to grab it himself. He leads me up the many stairs and into the bedroom where all the boxes are stacked up against one of the walls.

“Thank you, D” I say without thinking and let go of his hand to reach out for the boxes.

“I will give you some privacy now” Dragan says with calm voice, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

“Yes, D” I reply without turning around and I hear the door close behind him. Then I lift down the first box to put it on the floor and open it with a heavy heart.


	4. Goodbye past and hello future

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description, rape, forced sex.

It is the end of the afternoon when I finally close the last box again. Besides me on the floor is a small pile of my personal stuff. A photo album from my childhood. The thin gold chain with my parents’ wedding rings. My brother’s favourite teddy bear with the scorched limbs. My childhood diary. My favourite books with the worn covers from all the times I’ve read them. But I couldn’t find the most important object in any of the boxes; the picture of me, my parent and my brother, taken just a few days before the accident. It must still be at the apartment. I sigh resignedly and look down at the little pile. The door to the bedroom opens and Dragan enters. His big body moves silently across the floorboards and he crouch down in front of me. I look up at him.

“Is that all of your things?” he asks, looking down on the little pile next to me.

“Almost” I answer exhausted and regret it immediately. I should have just said ‘yes, D’. Shit. I dare to look up at him. To my surprise he’s not looking angry.

“What’s missing?” he asks hard and I clear my throat.

“Nothing, D” I reply gently, but Dragan’s eyes gets harder.

“I said; what’s missing?” he repeats harder than before and I sigh.

“A picture. I’ve looked in all the boxes and I can’t find it” I whisper slowly and shut my eyes for a brief moment.

“A picture of what?”

“My family” I whisper and feel my eyes get wet. Again.

“And this picture is important to you?” Dragan asks. I hesitate to answer.

“Arya, is this picture important to you?”

His eyes look at me seriously.

“Yes, D” I reply while I nod. Dragan exhales deeply and sighs.

“Alright” he says with a calm voice, while his hand reaches out and grabs my jaw.

“As a sign of my satisfaction with your obedience today, we will go back to the apartment and retrieve that picture for you.”

I stare at him in surprise. Seriously? Dragan’s eyes are serious so, yeah, it must be. He’s not the joking type anyway. I nod weakly.

“Thank you, D” I whisper relieved and feel the hint of a faint smile on my lips. The first smile in what seems like an eternity. Dragan nods to me before he gets up and pulls me with him. Apparently he’s tired of asking for my hand. His hands are cubing my face and his eyes brand mine. Then he lowers his lips to mine and I feel the warmth of them as they hit mine. I let him kiss me and when I feel his tongue against my lips, I open my mouth to let it in. Dragan groans pleased and tightens the grip around my face. I let my tongue play wet with his, but personally I feel nothing. Except his erection harden against my lower belly. Dragan pulls his face a bit away from mine and I dare to take a deep breath. Shit. What is he going to do to me now?

“Mmm” Dragan grumbles pleased, “I want you again, girl.”

I feel my cheeks burn red with embarrassment at my own body’s reactions to his sweet treatment of me and try to pull out of his embrace, but he’s not releasing me.

“It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Your body has needs too. Listen to it.”

The last sentence is whispered softly like a stroke against my skin. Dragan bends his knees and press his hard erection against the top of my crack.

“Can you feel that, girl? That’s what you do to me. My body has needs. And right now, you’re the only one who can fulfil them...” Dragan whispers intensely. I grab a hold on his upper arms to keep my balance as he pushes himself harder against me. Dragan groans again and one hand grabs my hair. In response, I dig my nails into the skin of his forearms and exhale a deep sigh.

“Yes” Dragan whispers and pushes me backwards until I hit the edge of the bed with the backside of my knees. Dragan lets me fall hard onto the bed and follows me quickly. He positions himself between my legs and I feel his hard cock press against the bottom of my panties. I cry out in pain. Dragan immediately stops all his movement.

“What is it, Arya?” he asks seriously, but I shake my head as a reply. I don’t dare to answer back.

“Nothing, D” I whisper weakly and see his eyes get hard.

“I am getting tired of repeating myself, girl. Tell me what’s wrong” he commands hard and I take a deep breath. I use the fear as a shield while I speak my next words.

“I am... very sore” I reply quietly and hold on to Dragan’s eyes. For a moment those dark eyes look confused, but then the confusion is replaced by understanding and after that; triumph. Superiority. Satisfaction. He smiles widely.

“Sore, huh?” he smiles and looks down my body. A low laughter rumbles through his big body. The laughter is, as always, short-lived, but some of it is left is in his dark eyes. The glow makes him damn attractive to look at. The muscles in my lower abdomen tighten. Damn my body’s reaction. Dragan smiles broadly and plants a warm kiss on my lips. Is he really kissing me again now? I’m not his girlfriend. I don’t want to kiss him. I hold my lips still, while I let him kiss me.

“Alright, girl, I’ll let you have a break” he says and pulls his body off mine. I feel my body ache with dissatisfaction by this turn of events. Too bad for you, I think to it and let Dragan pull me off the bed.

“Let’s go get that picture” he says and starts to move for the door, still with his hand around mine. I stop halfway in surprise.

“Us?” I exclaim confused, “as in you and me?”

Dragan turns towards me, uncomprehending.

“Yes, girl, ‘us’ as in you and me. Who did you think ‘us’ was?” he asks a little annoyed and I blink astonished a few times.

“I don’t know. I just thought that...” I start but then I stop myself and say; “Nothing, D”.

I carefully look up at Dragan. His head is slightly oblique, waiting and annoyed with my reply. I sigh slowly.

“I just thought that when you said ‘we’ earlier, you meant James and another, not you and me. I hadn’t thought that you would let me leave this house” I reply honestly and maintain his gaze. Dragan looks at me for a long moment before he steps into me, so close that I can feel him against my breasts. His free hand grabs my jaw and lifts my head towards his.

“I don’t like it either, girl, so please do not do _anything_ that will make me regret my decision. The picture you are missing is obviously very important and personal for you, and James won’t have the farthest idea of what to look for. The only one who knows that it you and there is no way in Hell you are leaving this house without me. So therefore, it is ‘us’ as in you and me who will go get it. The conditions are that you do exactly as I say and that you do not attract unnecessary attention to yourself. We get in the car, get that fucking picture and come straight back here. No stops on the way and no interruptions from your end. Is that understood?” Dragan says seriously and it takes me a moment to understand every word.

“Yes, D” I reply with a clear voice. Dragan’s eyes light up and I see the desire take form. He likes my obedience. But he keeps himself in check and turns to leave the bedroom with me behind him.

*

I am placed on the front seat of the black CR-V and Dragan himself sits in the driver’s seat. He starts the car and leaves the yard in front of the house. The rain has stopped but the heavy dark clouds still hang in the sky, threatening to send another wave of cold rain down on the car. I try to mentally prepare myself for the reunion with the apartment and with Martin, but I cannot decide how to react. Regrettably? Sad? Brave? As if this is another part of my past I need to let go? To say goodbye to something that was never really mine, but I still felt strongly connected to? Martin is... I wouldn’t call him the love of my life, because I’ve always known he wasn’t. But Martin is a solid foundation, a rock to hold on to in a life filled with insecurity and a feeling of never really belonging or fitting in anywhere. But still, after 3 years together, he feels more than my friend than my boyfriend. Once the picture is collected, it will be as if the last part of me and my old life disappear. The life I’ve spend 3 years to build up and live in. Then I will be gone and it will be as if I never was there to begin with. Like the day of the accident... I was there and then there was flames and then I wasn’t there, and I... No, I refuse to think about the past now. So instead I let my mind go over everything that has happen during the last 24 hours. Poor Professor Howard. And what exactly did Dragan mean in his comments about Lolita and the ‘naughty professor’? He can’t possibly think what I think he’s thinking. Can he?

“D?” I ask weakly, but the second the word has left my lips, I regret it. Dragan’s attention shifts from the road to me.

“Arya?” he replies expectantly, but I’ve lost my nerve. So I don’t answer.

“Arya, you are testing my patience. You obviously have something you want to ask but you are afraid of my reaction. I will remind you that I need to focus on the road ahead and I am not in any position to punish you right now. So ask me your question and let me answer it without consequences” says Dragan with a surprisingly calm voice. I glance at him. He _seems_ calm.

“Where we were at Professor Howard’s office, you called me ‘Lolita’. And today in the hallway you called him ‘the naughty professor’. So I was just wondering if... maybe you...”

I hesitate for a moment and then speak my next words.

“... maybe you think that there is something... ahm... _sexually_ happening between Professor Howard and myself.”

There. I said it. I look down at my hands. The complete silence in the car is deafening. Dragan doesn’t reply. I dare to take a look at him. Dragan’s body is tight, his jaw is set and his knuckles are almost white as he holds on to the steering wheel. Shit. He’s angry. Slowly the anger fades a bit and he turns his head towards me.

“Am I wrong?” he asks quietly and focuses on the road again.

“Yes!” I reply surprised and keep my eyes fixed on his face to read his reaction.

“If there is nothing sexually happening between the professor and yourself, what were you doing in his office that late at night on a Friday evening?” Dragan asks with a bit of scepticism in his voice.

“I am writing a thesis about evil and the theory of enemy images in the Middle Ages. It’s an area where Professor Howard has his expertise. He was helping me with the philosophically part of the thesis. We had had a meeting that had run late so I was leaving the building, when I remembered that I had forgotten to borrow a certain book from him. So I went back. But when I got to his office, I could hear voices behind the door and didn’t want to disturb, so I...”

I abruptly stop in the middle of the sentence.

“So you what, girl?” Dragan asks seriously, still keeping his eyes on the road. Shit. Now I have to admit that I was spying at the door.

“So you stayed on the other side of the door and listened?” he suggests and I feel my cheeks burn red.

“Yes, D” I whisper and again his knuckles turn white with rage.

“You listened to our conversation” he groans angrily and it is as if the air in the car is charged by his rage.

“How much did you hear?”

I sink a heavy lump.

“Not much” I assure him, “just the last part about some payment.”

“Hmm” be mumbles and I close my eyes hard. He is angry. It radiates of him. I dare to keep speaking in the hope of soothing his anger or at the very least get his mind somewhere else.

“I was about to turn around when you opened the door from the inside. You scared me. I couldn’t move. You –“

I stop again in the middle of the sentence. Why do I have to start something I don’t want to finish?

“Yes, girl?” he prompts. Shit.

“You scared me half to death. Your physical size alone was overwhelming and scary, but it was more than that. It was your eyes. So intense. So dark. I couldn’t look away.”

My voice is barely a whisper and I look down at my hands. There. I said it. I dare to look at Dragan when he doesn’t answer me. His mouth is slightly turned up as if he is trying to strangle a smile. He almost succeeds. I angered him with my words, but I soothed him again. Without being punished. The triumph races through my blood and I sign in relief.

“I appreciate your honesty, girl. I know I can be scary and aggressive. Often. But I would rather you tell me a truth that might anger me, than you keep quiet out of fear from my reaction. I will try not to be angry with you for your honesty” says Dragan suddenly and I look at him. He’s serious. Wow. Talk about a turnaround.

“Thank you, D” I reply obediently and am rewarded with another weak smile, this time a little wider than before.

“So there is absolutely nothing sexually happening between Professor Howard and yourself?” he wants confirmed and I shake my head.

“No, D, absolutely _nothing_ sexually. He’s just my mentor” I assure him and he nods as approval to my reply. What the actual f...? Yesterday he wanted me to shut up and obey, and I was and still am too scared of him to do anything else. My snappy comebacks, my honest replies – everything that I’ve always said when people spoke to me has been reduced to ‘yes, D’ and ‘no, D’. But now he wants me to be honest? Like be myself? Not act like a ... sex-slave?

“We are here.“

I look at the road ahead of us. Yes, we are.

The black SUV turns into the street where the apartment complex is located. Dragan lowers the speed and we reach the right building soon after. He stops right in front of the right entrance. Okay. This is it. I sigh calmly, unbuckle my seatbelt and reach for the door, when Dragan’s hand reaches out to grab my wrist and stop me from getting out of the car.

“Stay seated” he orders and I obey. He gets out of the car himself and walks slowly around it as he scans the area around us. For what? Dangerous men who want to rape me? The only dangerous man who wants to (and already have) raped me, opens my door and reaches in a hand to me. I let myself be pulled out of the car in a quick movement. Dragan pulls me close into his body and kiss me on the top of my head.

“Remember to behave” he whispers and I nod while I once again reply: “yes, D”.

Dragan nods satisfied and takes my hand before he moves towards the entrance. Up the stairs and in front of the door to the apartment, I suddenly realise that I don’t have my keys. Then Dragan pulls the key bundle from his pocket and hands it to me without words. He must have done through my pockets to find them. I try to find the right key, but my fingers fumble and the keys fall to the floor with a loud noise. I am about to bend down to pick it up, but Dragan beats me to it and reaches for the keys in less than a second. He squats in front of me, lifts his head towards me and reaches out his hand with the keys for me to take. A jolt of fear runs through me from the sight of that big, dangerous man on his knees in front of me with a calm and expectant expression on his face. It’s so wrong and so right at the same time. I can’t put my finger to why, but my body seems to recognise the position and the situation, but I have absolutely no conscious idea to why or how or where. So I ignore it. I nod gratefully and take the keys from him. Dragan gets up and I am about to stick the key into the locker, when the door is opened from the inside. I jerk in surprise and immediately feel Dragan’s arm twist around my waist. He pulls me in close just as Martin appears in the doorway.

“Arya!” Martin exclaims surprised and I see his face brighten with the joy of seeing me. Until he notice Dragan’s dominant arm around my waist. Slowly his smile fades and the most hurting expression I have ever seen sets on his face. My heart aches.

“Hi Martin” I stutter and try to smile calmly, but I fail. Miserably.

“Are you here to return the key? All your things have been collected earlier today by two very scary looking men. There is nothing here that is yours anymore” says Martin with a broken voice and I know he is referring to himself. No, Martin, you are not mine. And I am not yours. I clear my throat. Have I even been his?

“No, that’s actually not why I came but thanks for reminding me.”

I lift the bundle of keys and try to twist the right key out, but my hands are shaking so badly. Dragan’s free hand covers mine and he takes the bundle from me without a word. He lets go of me in the same movement. I turn to Martin.

“I went through my things and I couldn’t find the picture of my family. Have you seen it anywhere?” I ask and look at Martin, but my attention is solely on Dragan. He is so quiet. It’s not normal. Then Dragan hands me the key and I nod a thanks, as his arm reposition itself around my waist and I look expectantly at Martin for a reply.

“Yeah, it’s in the bedroom. On your... eh _the_ nightstand” he replies slowly. I manage to put a half smile on my lips and am about to enter the apartment, when Dragan’s phone starts to ring. He pulls it from his jacket pocket and looks briefly at it. Then he looks up at me and his eyes fixate on mine.

“Go in and get it, Arya, I have to take this call” he mumbles, but his eyes warn me to ‘behave’. I nod understandably and turn to Martin again. Then I follow him into the apartment and leave Dragan standing in the hallway alone.

“Over here” Martin says when we enter the bedroom and he points to the night stand. And yes, there it is. The picture I was missing. I gently pick it up and look at the image. I remember vaguely when it was taken. It was my 11th birthday and my parents, my little brother and I had been out to celebrate it with dinner. It was one of the waiters who took the picture with my mom’s camera. It was only a few days before the accident. The accident that changed my life...

“Is that all you need?” Martin asks, interrupting my trip down memory lane. I turn towards him and nod.

“Yeah, that was it. You know how important this is to me” I reply and hug the worn picture close to my heart.

“Thanks.”

I walk over to leave the bedroom, but Martin blocks my exit.

“Arya” he whispers uncertainly and his wounded eyes catch mine. My chest aches. No, this lovely guy doesn’t deserve me hurting him.

“Arya, I don’t know what’s going on. Yesterday morning you were fine when you left. I don’t talk to you all day and you don’t come home for the night. Then the next day a stranger shows up and tells me that you no longer want anything to do with me and that you have found a new man and that you are moving out. He starts going through your closet and packs up your clothes. Meanwhile, his equally scary looking friend shows up and they take all your things and leaves. I don’t understand! What is happening?” Martin asks seriously. I shake my head in disbelief. I cannot tell him the truth. My eyes get wet and I look down.

“Arya...” Martin whispers and steps in close to me.

“If you are in trouble, you can tell me. I will do anything to protect you. You know that. You don’t exactly seem happy with the brute standing in the hallway. If you are being forced to do something you don’t want... tell me. I will find a way to protect you. I’ve never told you about my cousin, but he’s a bad guy. He can definitely help you if I ask him to do so.”

I lift my gaze and look into Martin’s sincere eyes. If only he knew how close to the truth he was. Yes, the sincerity shines out of him. He really means it. He really wants to do anything to protect me. The realisation makes my eyes water and Martin steps in even closer.

“Honey, tell me what is going on...”

Martin pleads and puts a hand on my arm. A jolt of fear goes through me. As if he has sent electricity through my body. I lift my head up in a fast movement. And as I see the anxiety and love and sincerity on his face, I make a decision. Because he _can’t_ protect me. Not from the brute in the hallway. But I can protect him. I move away from his hand.

“What are you not understanding, Martin?” I snap at him, pulling myself further away, “It is _over_. I am not yours. I don’t want to be yours. I have thought about this for a long time, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted. Then I met Dragan and I haven’t been in doubt since. I appreciate everything you have done for me, but don’t make a fool of yourself. Admit that this is how it is and move on. _I have_.”

The last words I speak in a hard voice and send Martin the coldest look I am able to. Poor dumbfounded Martin. My chest aches. The words flow from my mouth like a truth and I try to keep the tears in, as I debate with myself if I really am lying or speaking the truth. Maybe a partial truth? I keep my face neutral, keep my feelings in check and straighten my back a bit.

“So if you will excuse me, I have a life to live and a man who’s waiting for me” I say, waiting for Martin to move away from the doorway. I see the indecisiveness in his face. Be smart, I beg him without words.

“ _Arya_?”

Dragan’s ice cold voice is right behind Martin and I see his big body step up behind him in the doorway.

“Are you ready, _honey_?”

I keep my eyes locked on Martin’s and finally see him admitting the defeat. With slow movements he steps into the bedroom and I hesitate for just a second, while I take a last look at Martin. A last look at my past before I accept the hand of the future.

“Goodbye Martin” I whisper weakly and put my hand in Dragan’s while I hug the photograph close to my heart. We leave the apartment in a rush and as the door slams behind me, I feel that I’ve left a piece of myself behind it. My whole past... everything I have been for the last 3 years... I just left it all behind that door.

Dragan opens the door to the passenger seat and pushes me in. Then he slams the door hard. As he enters the chauffeur side I feel the air thickening with his anger. Shit. He’s angry. Very angry. Was it the phone call that made him this angry? Or how much of my conversation with Martin did he hear? Enough to establish his ownership over me with his own use of the word ‘honey’, that’s for sure. Dragan puts the car in gear with a hard shove and accelerates into the traffic with high speed. I rush to fasten my seat belt. The atmosphere in the car is charged with Dragan’s rage. This is going to end badly. I don’t even know what I’ve done wrong, I simply can’t recall what I said anything wrong to Martin, but Dragan is going to punish me hard when we get back to the house. Shit. Fear pulsates in my veins. We haven’t been on the road for long, when Dragan drives away from the main highway and onto a side road. I don’t recognise the road, but I know it’s not the right road back the house. Where are we going now? Dragan makes another turn and this gravel road leads into what looks like the edge of a forest. I feel the panic sink into me. A forest? This can’t be good. Dragan parks the car deep inside the forest and turns off the engine. I sit completely still and await his anger. But he says nothing. Instead he steps out of the car and disappears from my view for a brief moment. More panic. Shit. I almost scream in surprise then the door in my side is suddenly forcefully opened. Dragan reaches over me, unbuckles my seatbelt and pulls me out of the car with hard moves while he slams the door behind me. The cold air hits my face like a bucket of ice water. Or maybe it’s Dragan’s rage that’s cooling me down. With a tight grip on my upper arms he presses me against the side of the car and pins me in between it and his big body.

“Was that your _boyfriend_?” he asks with ice-cold voice and I nod quickly. Dragan’s fury explodes. Shit. Wrong answer.

“I don’t like other males touching what is _mine_. Do you understand me, Arya?” He is so angry and again I nod quickly. How does he know that Martin touched me? And isn’t this an overreaction to a squeeze on the arm? And ‘his’... am I?

“Answer me, girl!” he yells hard and I nod very quickly.

“Yes, D” I whisper frightened. Dragan tightens the grip on my arms. Hard. It hurts.

“Yes, D, what?” he growls expectantly and I breathe faster. He scares the shit out of me.

“No one is touching me, D. Only you” I whisper, while my eyes get wet. What is happening?

“You are my girl, do you understand? _Mine_!”

The last word is almost spit in my face and I nod once again.

“Yes, I understand” I whisper and realise for the first time how true it is. I am his. If I want to be or not. I have no choice. No escape options. No one is coming to save me from Dragan’s might. I sold my soul to the Devil and now I have to live in Hell. The tears start to roll down my cheeks, as Dragan stares as me with hard eyes.

Without a word, he presses his lips towards mine. Hard. Demanding. His tongue is warm and wet as it violently enters my mouth. Dragan’s hands release my arms, only to grab onto my hips instead and he pulls me tight into his hard body. I gasp into his mouth as I feel the already hard erection press against my lower abdomen. Dragan tightens his grip more and pulls me aside, still invading my mouth with his tongue. His hands slide down to my ass and grab my sore buttocks. I gasp of surprising pain, but it doesn’t affect Dragan. Not this time. His lust is so powerful that not even my pain can stop it. Dragan lifts me as if I weighed nothing and puts me down hard on the warm hood of the car. The strong hands pull up my dress with fast movements and I fear for the thin fabric. And right enough. I hear the ripping sound of my dress being torn apart. I really liked that dress. Maybe now isn’t the time to tell Dragan. Not that he has noticed it. Still without letting go of my mouth, he pulls my panties aside and quickly he lets my lips go, only to spit on his fingers. Then his mouth is on mine again and without any warning two of his long fingers slide into me. I moan deeply over the sudden fulfilment while Dragan’s free hand grabs my hair. He holds my head still and my body up against the hood, while his tongue invades my mouth and his fingers press hard into me. Suddenly he pulls out his fingers but I don’t have the time to react or think before his hard cock pushes against my warmth, begging to be let in. I moan weakly as Dragan shoves his cock into me in a hard and fast move. He pushes himself all the way into me and a low scream escapes my lips. Damn, I am _so_ sore. Dragan groans deeply before his hands grab onto my hips and I am being pulled into each of his thrusts. Every thrust is a punishment, a branding of my body as if he wants to establish that I am his and no one else’s. Dragan releases one of my hips and his huge hand reach out for my fragile neck which it grabs on hard. I gasp in surprise and my hands automatically reach out for his thick wrist in fear of him trying to strangle me. But Dragan doesn’t even notice my weak attempt at removing his hand. He squeezes on the sides of my neck; not strangling me but dominating me, and he continues his branding of my body. He pushes me back so I almost lie down on the hood of the tall car. Dragan pumps hard and violently into me and even though I am sore, it’s not _that_ painful. My body responds to the hard treatment and I get more and more wet. Dragan groans deeply, his outburst almost animal-like while he continues his hard thrusting into me. Then he pulls me up from the hood by squeezing on the sides of my neck and I gasp from lack of air. His lips occupy mine, deeply and hard, as he slows his pace a bit. Dragan releases my lips and pulls my head closer to his own. His teeth bide my ear lip and I whine from the sudden pain. His breath is hot and seductive against my ear.

“Play with yourself, Arya” he whispers, voice strained and lies me down on the now cold hood again. I feel the blush spreading to my still-hidden breasts, while I reluctantly release my grip on his wrist with one hand. I let it slide down between my legs to the place where our bodies are united. I gently feel his thick erection, while it continues its hard invasion of me. Dragan groans deeply as a response. Then I gently place two fingers on my clitoris and move them in circular movements over my most sensitive spot. I see a quick flashback to the rape last night where Dragan was playing with me in the same way while his cock was buried deep up my ass.

I moan deeper when my pulse increases and the heat begin to spread in my body. Dragan’s free hand violently pulls down the dress and bra so my breasts are exposed. My sensitive nipples are hard and the cold makes them feel even sorer than before. Dragan grabs one of my breasts and squeeze hard. I scream weakly and realise that I am actually enjoying it. He is playing at the edge of my pain limit and damn me, but it’s working. It’s so intense. So beyond my limits. I surrender to his desire for me and let all thoughts of the past and Martin vanish from my consciousness. Dragan squeezes my nipple between two of his fingers, while he tightens his grip around my throat and penetrates me even deeper.

“Dragan...” I whisper weakly and tortured, while the heat rises to unknown levels in my body. Dragan groans delightfully over the sound of his name on my lips and squeeze harder around my throat

“Mine” he groans deeply and the word becomes my downfall. As a glass under running water, it floats over inside of me and I scream out my orgasm into the now dark forest as my legs begin to shake. I think I hear Dragan groan my name, but I’m not sure if I heard it or imagined it. Then he roars loudly and I feel his cock pulsate against my muscles. His breath is strained as if he’s run a marathon and slowly he loosens the grip around my nipple and neck. His big body falls down to cover mine and he lies heavily on top of me. Dragan wraps one of his hands into my hair and holds my head to his shoulder, while I hear his breathing get more and more normal. He kisses me hard into my hair, a long kiss, and then he slowly pushes himself off me again.

“You are amazing” he whispers with a hoarse voice and the dark eyes shine with his lust for me.

“And you are mine.”

Then he lowers his lips on mine and I recognise the soft kiss, which is a screaming contrast to his hard treatment of me mere moments ago. Dragan lifts his body completely off mine and I moan softly as he pulls himself out of me. He takes my hand and pulls me down from the hood. The absence of the warmth from his body makes the cold air hit me even harder. I look down at myself while I desperately try to cover up my half-naked body. I don’t really succeed. My underwear is actually still intact, but the dress is impossible to save. The seams on both sides are torn from bottom to the middle of my thigh. The elastic that normally keeps the dress up around the breasts has burst and there is nothing to keep the dress in place anymore. It’s nothing but a piece of torn fabric now. Nothing more. I sigh deeply and notice Dragan is standing quietly, waiting in front of me. I lift my gaze. And almost gasp at the sight. Because for the first time in the short period of time I’ve know Dragan, he has a smile on his lips. A real smile. Not just the hint of a smile or a smirk. His eyes sparkle. His body seems relaxed and satisfied. He is completely calm. He usually radiates danger, but the man looking at me right now is not dangerous. He still radiates power, but not in that animalistic way. He almost seems... I was about to say human, because that’s actually the best word I can find to describe him at this second. He looks like a man I would _want_ to belong to, not a man I am forced to belong to. And his eyes... Those deep, dark and intense eyes looking at me like I am the most important thing in the world. ‘ _Mine_ ’. His word echoes in my head. I feel the heat rise in my cheeks and an insecure, weak smile appears on my lips.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I whisper while my cheeks are burning. My blood beats hard through my body. I don’t even understand why I’m feeling embarrassed and exposed here. This is my kidnapper. My rapist. My rapist who is looking at me like he wants to devour me. He has just orgasm’ed, for fuck sake, how can he still have any lust for me left? Dragan steps into me; so close into my body and his arms close around my waist. I look up at him. Those dark eyes hold mine.

“Because you are mine, Arya. Only mine. When your boy put his hand on your arm, everything exploded inside of me, I almost tore off his arm. It was all I could think about. And the only thing stopping me was your presence. I didn’t want you to see that. So I held back. But my whole body was vibrating. I had to take you, to make sure that you were mine and only mine. And now I have. I am everywhere on body. Your skin is marked by my scent, as well as the touches of my hands. And your inside is filled with me. I am everywhere on you and in you. It is... soothing” Dragan exhales with a relaxed voice and I am trying hard to understand the meaning of his words. But they don’t quite make sense. It all seems so... animalistic. Basic. Caveman-like, even. Dragan kisses me gently again before he mumbles a string of words in that same language James used to me earlier. Another kiss. And then he releases me while he points to the car. I get the hint and slowly let myself ease into the car seat. Dragan gets in the car himself and reaches behind, where his finds a black blazer on the backseat and hands it to me without words. Once again I understand the hint and pull on the blazer while Dragan starts the engine and makes a u-turn, before slowly driving out through the uneven forest road.

“What did you say to me?” I ask carefully after a few minutes and Dragan’s gaze flutters to me before returning to the road. I almost hold my breath, waiting for his answer.

“It’s an old saying in my mother tongue” he replies calmly and yet a bit insecure. He looks at me again.

“ _Nia bojsia ja abaranic vas._ It means something like: do not fear, for I protect you.”

I pull down my eyebrows. A bit over-dramatic, because what should I be protected against – Martin? Himself? Is he really going to protect me from himself? I seriously doubt it.

“Does that mean you won’t hurt me?” I ask nervously and keep my eyes on Dragan’s profile. There is a long pause and I sense that Dragan is choosing his words carefully.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Arya” he replies after a few minutes.

“But how can you protect me if you hurt me?” I reply snappy and immediately regret it. I really need to learn to keep my mouth shut. But Dragan doesn’t seem angry. More frustrated, really. His smile is awry.

“Because your pain serves a higher purpose. I know you can handle it. I know you will put up with if, solely for the reason that I am the one inflicting it. But if others try to touch you...”

Dragan lets the rest of the sentence hang unfinished between us. Torn arms, I got the message, thank you. Then another thought strikes me out of nowhere and I open my mouth before I can think.

“So you’re saying that the pain between my legs serves a higher purpose?” I ask sceptically and Dragan burst out a low laughter.

“Yes, Arya, it serves multiple purposes. Most importantly, it leaves no doubt about you being mine. You are constantly reminded of this in your soreness. Other males can see my marks on your body and smell my scent in your skin. It lets them know you are owned. That you are _mine_. The bonus for me is knowing that I have done you good and proper” Dragan smiles and looks at me again. There is no doubt about Dragan being a man. His powerful appearance alone, his big body and his dominant behaviour alone confirms it. And still he needs to confirm himself in not being below average in the size between his legs. Boys will be boys, I guess. I shake my head resignedly. And another though crosses my mind.

“No stops on the way, huh?” I giggle weakly and glance at Dragan. His mouth pulls up and for the first time in my first day in Hell I feel a real smile on my lips. Damn, it’s so fun to tease him when he is in a good mood. It he hadn’t just had a release and seemed relatively satisfied and calm, I probably never would have dared out of fear of his reaction. But in this mood? I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to. This conversations seems so... normal. Like we are a normal couple, having a normal conversation after a normal intercourse. Not a kidnapper and his victim discussing pain boundaries and ownership after another rape-session. Still, the smile stays on my lips as I turn my attention to the road ahead. I can’t see anything out of the tinted side windows anyway.

The drive back to the house is pleasantly silent. Dragan seems consumed by his own thoughts and so am I. I try hard to come up with a sensible explanation, but there is just something about this whole situation that doesn’t make sense. Besides the obvious, of course. There is something about Dragan that’s not right. Like, not normal. But I just can’t put my finger on it. From the first moment when I spied on him and Professor Howard at campus my instincts have been warning me that something was different. Dangerous. But I just don’t know what. And yet at the same time it feels like this is where I belong. Like I’ve been a stranger in my own life, a gray sleepwalker who followed the flow and only now have I awoken to see the world in its sharp, bright colours. For the first time ever I feel... alive.


	5. The Others

My line of thoughts stop the moment the car does. I look up and see that we are back at the house. It’s gotten dark and I wonder briefly how late it is. Dragan steps out of the car while I open my seat belt, but from previously experience I know to stay seated. Waiting. Dragan’s lips are marked with a confident and triumphant smile as he opens my door and reaches a hand in for me. He pulls me out of the car and I let him lead me into the house without speaking. I’ve just stepped into the foyer when James comes out of the living room.

“There you guys are” he smiles, “did you do get what you needed?”

Dragan nods as a reply and I smile vaguely. Then James takes another look at me and something in his eyes shift. At first he seems surprised while he quickly looks over at Dragan and then he gaze changes; it becomes respectful, awestruck actually, and he speaks out a long line of words in their mysterious language. Then he bows his head and falls to his knees in front of me. Wow, what is this? James reaches for my hand and pulls it up to his forehead, while another line of sentences fall fluently from his lips. I stare at him in surprise and confusion before turning my head towards Dragan for answers. His eyes are big and just as surprised as mine, though not for the same reason, because he knows what’s going on. I don’t. Then the triumph overtakes those dark eyes and he removes his gaze from James to me. His gaze is intense and satisfied; the triumph shines so brightly as if he is very pleased by the scenario happening in front of him. James finishes his triad and kisses me gently on the back of my wrist. Then he rises to his feet and turns towards Dragan. Dragan nods in approval to James, who respectfully bends his head to Dragan once more before leaving the foyer. I stand completely stunned and dumbfounded in the middle of the foyer and do nothing to hide my confusion. What is the world was that? Dragan steps in front of me and takes my face into his big fists.

“See, all males know that you are marked as mine now” he says satisfied and kisses me gently on the lips. And then on the forehead. Is that what it was? It just feels like _more_ , but I don’t know why I feel that way.

“What kind of language was that? Russian?” I ask curiously and feel Dragan’s body stiffen. He keeps his lips against my forehead.

“Something like that” he mumbles. His mobile phone starts to ring and the intimate moment is interrupted. Dragan pulls it from his pocket and quickly looks at it.

“I have to answer this. Get some decent clothes on. And then go down to the kitchen for something to eat, I will find you when I am finished” he mumbles and pushes me towards the staircase.

“Yes, D” I reply obediently, while he answers his phone and I go upstairs where I throw my torn dress on the floor and open one of the heavy boxes.

*

Half an hour later and I’m dressed decent again. I found an old pair of worn-down jeans in one of my boxes alongside an over-sized black sweater. I’ve also prepared some food for myself, and I grab the plate with one hand and a bottle of water with the other hand, while I push open the door to the hallway with my hip and make my way into the living room. I sit down on the soft velvet couch and begin to eat, while my thoughts take over. There is something seriously not normal about all of this. Besides the obvious of a kidnapping-situation. Dragan's behaviour alone is odd, but the whole thing just seems so.. animalistic. Old-fashioned. Like that way he refers to himself as a male instead of a man. And what is up with the weird language they’re speaking? It sounds beautiful, but it doesn’t sound like any Russian I’ve ever heard before. It’s not Serbian or Rumanian either. I’ve never heard it before. The tone is almost singing. Quite remarkable. I chew on the soft bread, while I take a look around the living room. Alongside the opposite wall from there the couch is placed is a long row of bookshelves. I take another bite and get up from the couch. The books in the bookcases are old and for a brief moment they remind me of the books in Professor Howard’s office. But these books are much older. Like ancient. Several hundreds of years old. I pick up a thick book from the shelf and open it. It smells old. Antique. The front page is filled with twisted characters, but underneath they are translated: ‘The chronicles of The Others’. What a weird name. And in English? I don’t know what I expected. Maybe it’s their own language on top? An old variant of Russian? It doesn’t look like the Russian letters, but honestly? I wouldn’t know for sure even if they were. I carefully turn the pages, while reading some of the words. The blood in my veins runs cold. What the f...?

’ _… and out of the human race, emerged the homo sapiens. Born from humans, but not of the homo sapiens, The Others came to life. A powerful race, born into greatness and they lived in greatness. The Others looked much like the homo sapiens, but they were indeed not like them. Stronger than the human men, the males of The Others had power in their blood. They fought like warriors, protecting their bonded females as well as the whole of their race. A stronger or more loyal male had not been seen before, not even in the old world. The bonded male of The Others were indeed a force of power. The females of The Others were of great beauty and the were known for their intelligence and fierce nature. The best families of the species were sought out to rule them all and ensure_ _that The Others would remain a powerful and dominant people. These became known as the founding families. The original five families made sure to strengthen the race between themselves._ ’

What is this? The Others? It sounds like something from my psychology classes. Another race than humans? And so much alike them? I turn more pages in the book.

_’But as time went by, The Others became more distant from the homo sapiens. The hunt for The Others became more intense as the humans developed their technology. The homo sapiens were indeed afraid of The Others. So The Others retreated from the dominon and gave the rule to the homo sapiens. The males continued to fight for their females and the whole of the race, but their numbers were dwelling and as they decelerated, so did the power of The Others. The founding families could not protect the race.’_

This is too weird. Is this a joke? Some weird fiction? But all my instincts are telling me, that this is not fiction. The age on the book alone is almost enough to convince me, but it’s more than that. Everything I’ve seen, everything I’ve heard and felt since I met Dragan in Howard’s office… this feels true. It feels connected. Coherent. It confirms my instincts, all my warning signs. But what does it mean? Is Dragan not human? Isn’t James either? What are they then? The Others? Another freaking race? I put the heavy book back on the shelf. I am about to turn around when another book catches my attention. It looks like a children’s book and I carefully pick it up. Yes, it’s a children’s book, no doubt. It’s illustrated, the language is in English, but the pages are almost yellow from age. I turn the pages carefully while I read the words that make fear run through my blood. Sentences like ‘ _stronger than homo sapiens’_ and ‘ _ruled by their instincts’_ enhances the fear, but then I read another sentence that makes the last few days flash through my mind in seconds:

’… _a bonded male will protect his female and he will leave his bonding scent on and in her, as a warning to other males and a satisfaction that she belongs to him and no one else_.’,

Dragan’s behavior. James’ behavior; first in the kitchen and then in the hallway, after the sex I had with Dragan in the forest. Shit. Dragan’s words: _‘I had to take you, to make sure that you were mine and only mine. And now I have. I am everywhere on body. Your skin is marked by my scent, as are my prints. And your inside is filled with me. I am everywhere on you and in you. It is... soothing’_.

The threat of torn off limbs. Shit. It wasn’t an exaggeration. He meant every word. He has marked me as his own, that was what the whole scene in the hallway with James was about. James must have smelled Dragan on me, hence the surprised look on his face. But what was that whole on his knees all about then?

I shut the book. Hard. I don’t want to read anymore. It gives me more questions than answers. But shutting the book doesn’t shut down my mind. How can another race than ours exist and be completely unknown to humans? How is it possible? It is so unbelievable that I almost think it’s a joke. My reason, my logic is telling me that it’s impossible, but my body, my instincts and my heart; they all tell me that this is true. That it’s the truth. It just feels… right.

I shake my head. No, this is too much. I grab the half-empty plate and shove open the door to the hallway. I briefly notice the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs, but I refuse to look up and hurry for the kitchen. I throw the plate into the sink, place my hands on the edge of the kitchen counter and shut my eyes. No. This cannot be. It just _can’t_. It is physically impossible. If it was true, it would be scientifically proven. It’s not. How can it be true then?

“Arya?” I almost scream in shock at the sound of my name and quickly turn around. Dragan is standing right in front of me with worry in his eyes.

“Are you okay?”

His voice is calm and I open my mouth to reply, but my voice is numb. I shake my head instead and feel my eyes get wet.

“Hey, tell me what’s happening?” Dragan asks urgently and grabs my upper arms. His touch sends electricity through me and I pull out of his grasp.

“Do not touch me...” I whisper frighten and move further back into the kitchen, away from Dragan, away from this The Others race who scares the crap out of me. Dragan's face lights up in confusion right before he realises the truth. His face hardens.

“You know what I am.”

His voice is calm and hard. It’s not a question. I nod weakly without taking my eyes off him.

“You pull away from me, that’s understandably because I scare you. The thought of what I am scares you. But remember our agreement, Arya. If you run from me, your dear professor gets hurt.”

Dragan takes a step towards me. I take a step back. And feel the wall against my back. Shit. I am trapped. I look up at Dragan who is standing barely three feet from me.

“I am not running. I am not leaving this house. But do not touch me again... I don’t want you to touch me.”

The last sentence I whisper so low, almost to myself, but Dragan reacts to it. He stands very still as he reads my face, but I have no idea what he sees. Fear? Contempt? Tears? So fast I don’t even register the movement, Dragan is right in front of me and his large hands close around my face. I grab his wrists.

“That was not the agreement, Arya” he growls unhappy and I gasp, “I don’t give a shit about the house. You do not run from _me_. Is that understood? And I don’t give a shit about what you think you know or don’t know either. You are _my_ girl. Perhaps you need your memory refreshed from earlier?”

Dragan pulls me into him hard and presses his pelvis against mine. Shit. He is hard. Then he lowers his head towards mine, but I turn my face away from him. He grunts unhappy and bite the thin skin on my neck instead. I gasp, surprised by the pain.

“No, D...” I whisper horrified, when his hands roughly grab my ass and lift me up from the floor. He pushes me into the wall with a hard shove and pins me in between it and his large, hard body. Again his face lowers towards mine and I feel his warm breath against my lips while he mumbles my name intensely. His hands massage my breasts, but I’m too horrified to get turned on.

“D, no, please...” I whisper and grab his wrists again. No reaction. It is as if he doesn’t even notice my words or my desperate attempt to pry him off me.

“Dragan?” I whisper a bit louder and gently lay my hands around his face. This seems to wake him. He lifts his head and those dark eyes are burning with ownership. This is a male who wants to mark his female.

“Don’t, Dragan, please? I don’t want to.”

My eyes get wet. Something shifts in those dark eyes. They now glow with... what? Pity? Fear? Compassion?

“You are mine, Arya” he growls low and hard, while his grip on my upper arms tightens. I slowly nod with a serious face.

“You _have_ marked me. I _am_ yours. But please stop, Dragan. I can’t right now, okay? I just... can’t. You have to give me some time. Please...”

I keep my hands on his face and his gaze on mine. Those dark eyes are unreadable. His grip is hard and that warm erection is slowly pulsing against my lower abdomen.

“Kiss me” he mumbles hard, while he lowers his lips on mine. I let him kiss me. Aggressively and hard at first, but as the kiss progresses, it becomes gentler and more passionate. Dragan pulls his head back a little and looks at me seriously with a shadowy face.

“You must never run from me, Arya, do you hear me? Never ever” he mumbles urgently while his grip once again tightens on my arms. Ouch. I slowly nod.

“I need to know that you are mine. Only mine.”

Dragan's hands grab my face and he puts his forehead against mine, while he breathes heavily. I gently put my hands around his wrists.

“I am...” I whisper to calm him and close my eyes. Am I? Whatever Dragan wanted to say next will remain unsaid, because the door to the kitchen abruptly opens. I gasp in surprise while Dragan places himself protectively in front of me. And growls angrily. He actually growls. What the f...?

“I’m sorry, D, I didn’t mean to interrupt” James mumbles disarmingly. Dragan straightens his back and relaxes a little. But only a little.

“What?” he growls annoyed and I peak around him at James.

“Arya” James nods to me and I smile weakly as a reply,

“What is it, Belaruz?” Dragan asks with growing annoyance and James focuses on him.

“You need to see this” James replies gravely and his words make Dragan's body tighten again. He nods once to James who immediately leaves the kitchen without any more words. Dragan turns towards me, slowly. I lift my gaze. And nod understandably.

“Go” I whisper and try to muster a calming smile. Without success. Dragan’s eyes get serious. I sigh resignedly.

“I’m fine, D, just go” I repeat, while Dragan grabs my face and lifts my head. Then he gently kisses me and leaves the kitchen. I take a deep breath. And another. More. So many, I lose count. But it works a bit. I feel my body relax more and more, and my pulse lowers to an almost normal level. Then I trust my legs completely and leave the kitchen. The hallway is empty. I briefly consider going upstairs to the bedroom, but reject that idea immediately. If Dragan finds me alone in a bedroom... No, I can’t. I enter the living room instead. On purpose I avoid looking towards the heavy bookshelves as I head towards the couch and let my body sink into it. I lay my arm across my head and shut my eyes. This is too much. Too many impressions, too much information, too many emotions. Too much of everything. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry. My body struggles between panic and calm. It’s a strange feeling. The panic I can understand, but the calm? Where does that come from? How on earth can I be calm in this situation? I should panic. I should scream until I become hoarse. I should have lost my mind a long time ago. Maybe that’s what has happened; I’ve actually lost my mind. Maybe that’s why I can stay so calm?


	6. The cabin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

I wake up startled when the door to the living room is slammed hard. Confused I sit up in the couch and look towards Dragan who has entered the room. And he does not look happy. His whole attitude is threatening, angry and the air surrounding him almost sparkles with his fury. Shit.

“D?” I ask gently and his hard eyes fixate on me. They soften a bit as they take me in. He takes s deep breath to calm himself. And it works. A bit.

“Go upstairs and pack your things, Arya. Just the most important stuff. We need to leave now” he answers with a hard tone and I sink slowly. Go? Go where? But I know better than to ask.

“Yes, D” I reply obediently and get up from the couch. I slowly make my way towards the door, but Dragan stops me when I want to walk past him by grabbing my wrist. I look up at him.

“After everything that has happened you have no reason to trust me, I know. But everything I do is to protect you” he whispers and I can hear the agony in his voice. His free hand grabs a lock of my hair and he studies it for a long time.

“So precious, so fragile, so damn strong. It’s hard to imagine that a few days ago I didn’t even know you. And now... now you’re the most important thing in my life.”

His voice is a whisper and he closes his eyes calmly. My heart aches. The most important thing in his life? What does that mean? And why does he have to say things so intensely? Like when he says my name... It makes my pulse fasten and makes my senses come alive. I feel so alive right now. Alive like I’ve never been before. Everything here is so intense, so real, and so serious. His world is my world. I know this for sure. I belong is this world. But something still doesn’t feel right. Because how can I feel alive with a man, well _a male_ , who’s kidnapped and raped me? A male who’s forcing me to give up my life to become his personal sex-slave?

“Dragan...” I whisper and grab the hand that’s entangled in my hair. He opens his eyes.

“You’re scaring me.”

His eyes hold mine with a serious look in them. He almost looks tortured. What’s going on?

“Arya...” he begins, but then stops himself. He takes another deep breath and presses a kiss to my forehead.

“Go pack those things and be quick about it. We don’t have a lot of time.”

He ends the conversation and the tortured male is gone – he’s the hard Dragan again. I nod calmly and twist out of his grasp, before I leave the living room and hurry up the stairs.

*

I only use a few minutes to pack the most important things in one single box, and a few minutes later I’m sitting in the back of the black SUV again, only this time on the backseat with Dragan at my side. His grip on my wrist is firm and he radiates power and confidence. The agony in his eyes is gone. James is behind the wheel and Marcus, the man who threatened to kill Professor Howard, is next to James. The air in the car is heavy and all three males are watchful. Something is happening, but I dare not ask what it is. Sometimes I get eye contact with James through the rear view mirror, like he wants to make sure I’m still in my seat. I roll my eyes. As if I could move with Dragan's firm grip on my wrist. The silence in the car is interrupted when Marcus’ phone starts to ring and he answers it with a simple ‘yes’. I try to listen to the conversation, but Marcus only replies ‘yes’ and ‘no’ a few times before he ends the call. He turns towards Dragan and makes eye contact. A silent exchange is happening between them, but whatever is being said, it is not good. Because Dragan releases my wrist, only to put his arm around my waist and pull me closer. His lips press against the top of my hair while Marcus returns to his own seat. Once again I make eye contact with James in the mirror and his eyes are both hard and saddened at the same time. What is happening?

*

We’ve been on the road for many hours in complete silence, when James finally leaves the highway and takes the car along some smaller roads. It’s bright outside and the sun is high on the sky. I try to orientate, but the area is completely unknown to me. I do see a town sign named “Norwich”, but we leave the town again quickly. But shit. Norwich? That’s almost as far west as you can get. We are a long way from home. About fifteen minutes later, James parks the car behind a large cabin in the middle of the woods and turns off the engine, before leaving the car with Marcus. I make a move to open my door, but Dragan keeps me at his side. I lift my head to question him, but the seriousness in his face makes me shut my mouth again. I stare up at him confused, but do not ask and he does not speak either. Then he nods determined and gets out of the car, dragging me with him out into the icy air. It’s probably cold enough for the temperature to be below zero. I pull the jacket closer to my body. Inside, the cabin is dark and freezing, as if it hasn’t been used in several months. And judging from the sheet-covered furniture and the amount of dust everywhere, it hasn’t. James is already starting a fire in the dusty fireplace, but Marcus has vanished from sight. Dragan doesn’t let me go. He drags me through the cabin and into one of the back faced room, which turns out to be a bedroom. All the furniture in here is covered in white sheets too, and Dragan pulls the sheet off the bed before he pushes me down to sit on it. He sinks down to his knees before me. What is he doing?

“Arya” he whispers in agony and grab both of my hands. I look down at my soft hands trapped in Dragan's large, rough fists. This is so wrong. The hard, dangerous male on his knees in front of me with a tortured look in those dark eyes. And then I realise that something is wrong. Not just wrong, but seriously and life-threateningly wrong. A chill runs down my spine, while goose bumps spread across my skin. I feel the panic in my blood. Dragan squeezes my hands in his and I meet his eyes.

“You have nothing to fear, Arya. I will protect you. Even if it costs me my life, I will protect you. I promise” mumbles Dragan and I nod slowly.

“I am scared, yeah, but I don’t understand any of this..?” I whisper and feel my eyes get wet. Dragan nods.

“I know. I wish I could tell you everything, but you are just not ready for the truth. Soon, I promise.”

I am about to nod, but then I fully understand his words. Not ready for the truth? What kind of BS is that? My fear is replaced with anger. Dragan’s eyes shift as he senses the change in my mood.

“You’re angry” he mumbles baffled and my anger peaks.

“Yes, I’m angry. How dare you scare the crap out of me with this behaviour? You tell me nothing and I still obey you. I have done everything you’ve told me to and now you’re telling me that I'm not ready for the truth? That is the worst kind of BS I’ve ever hear. I know what you are. And I am still here. Your skin touches mine. I am not afraid of what you are. And after everything you’ve done to me, I deserve the truth. Right now.”

I almost yell the last two words into Dragan's face. I take a deep breath. And another. I shut my eyes. I didn’t mean to say so much. I didn’t mean to yell at Dragan. And now that my anger has vanished, the fear is back. Shit. What have I done? I slowly open my eyes to look at Dragan, expecting his angry eyes to meet mine. But he’s not angry.

“I know, Arya. I know...” he whispers and grab my hands harder. I stare at him in bewilderment. He isn’t angry? He seems completely calm, a bit sad, actually, as is he truly understands my little outburst. He’s not angry at me over it. Powerful Dragan who forbids me to speak without permission. And now he lets me yell at him. It’s not normal. Shit.

“This is really bad, isn’t it?” I whisper horrified with fear pounding through my blood. Those dark eyes confirm my fear. It _is_ bad. My instincts take over and the fear in Dragan makes me feel stronger. I cannot be a victim anymore. I must be strong. I nod understandably.

“What must I do?” I ask calmly and await Dragan, who maintain my gaze. He seems confused by my sudden calmness. Then he nods in approval.

“Obey me. No matter what happens, obey me.”

“Yes, D” I whisper while I nod and Dragan’s large palm grab my face. His eyes are serious and pleading.

“Trust me, Arya. Let me protect you?” he whispers weakly and I nod with tears in my eyes, while I once more whisper ‘yes, D’. Dragan gets up and presses his lips hard towards mine. I do not move. I do not turn my head. I don’t just let him kiss me. _I kiss him back_. I am actively participating because I need this. My fear... my anger... my vulnerability... all these feelings... it’s just _too_ much. I need to forget. Dragan is offering me an escape – at least for a little while – and I take it. I grab his arms; pull him with me down to the bed so I can feel his heavy body press against mine. I wrap my legs around his hips and put my arms around his neck. My fingers grab the thick, dark air as the kiss gets deeper, more intense. I am alive. My hands slide down that hard back of his and I pull Dragan’s t-shirt up so I can feel his warm skin under my fingers. I gently scratch my nails across the soft skin and hear him growl low and satisfied at the feeling. Those large hands slide down my arms, squeeze my breasts hard and then continue down to my thighs. Dragan presses his palm hard against my hot opening and I can feel his strength so clearly even through my panties and jeans. I moan softly into his mouth and he reacts to it. His hands become harder, his kiss deeper.

“I need you...” he whispers in agony between those violent kisses.

“Yes” I reply nodding and scratch my nails across his broad shoulders. He groans deeply.

My pants are being pulled down with a hard jerk and Dragan places himself between my legs. I can feel his hard erection press against my panties, right there where it wants to enter.

“Yes” I moan again and throw my head back into the bed. Dragan takes that as an accept – not that he really needs one – and pulls my panties aside before he enters my heat. I moan in surprise over the violent invasion.

“You are so warm, Arya” he groans satisfied while he presses himself all the way into me. His deep voice sends waves of heat through my body.

“So wet... so ready for me.”

We both moan over the deep connection between our bodies. Dragan moves slowly, deeply and intensely inside me and the world around us disappears. There is only him and me, connected in erotic pleasure. And I want this. There is no force, no rape, no threats. Not this time. I am actively participating in our action and I’m enjoying it more than I should. Because somewhere in the back of my mind I am fully aware that this is wrong. That I am letting my kidnapper, my rapist have me without a fight. But my mind has no voice in this moment. My body needs the release and Dragan fulfils its need. I feel the burning wave of heat go through me and my muscles contracts. I moan loudly and wrap my legs around Dragan’s hips again, while I hold him close to me.

“Arya...” Dragan whispers strained and the sound of his voice sends me over the edge. Everything inside me explodes and I scream out my orgasm with a high pitched voice. At the same time I feel Dragan pulsate hard inside of me as he reaches his own climax and growls into the sheets below us while he holds me tight. I slowly run my hands through his damp hair and feel his heart beat hard even through both our shirts.

“Arya...” he whispers in agony.

“Shh Dragan, I’m right here” I whisper back and feel my body being squeezed harder into the bed by his heavy body.

“Say that again” he pleads.

“I’m right here” I whisper, but Dragan shakes his head, while he lifts some of the pressure on my body without moving away from me.

“No. Say my name.”

I see the vulnerability in those dark eyes, as my own gets wet.

“Dragan” I whisper and he shuts his eyes hard.

“Again” he orders.

“Dragan.”

My voice is almost a whisper. Dragan presses his lips hard against mine and I accept. The dangerous kidnapper is showing me a softer side and I am completely in bewilderment. How am I supposed to react to this? But before I even get the chance to react, the moment is over. Dragan’s phone starts to ring and he lifts himself off me to reach down his pocket. With a short ‘hello’ he gets up from the bed and pulls on his pants with a serious face. I lie half-naked on the bed and await his next move.

“Yes, I understand” he mumbles into the phone and ends the call without taking his eyes from me. Frustrated, his hand runs through that dark hair as he accesses the situation.

“Get dressed” he orders and I do as he says without protesting. I have promised him to obey and I dare not break that promise. When my pants are in place, Dragan grabs my hand and we leave the bedroom without a word. Shit. What’s going on? In the now no longer sheet-covered living room, James and Marcus are sitting on a wide couch talking quietly to each other. They both look over at us and stand up when we enter the room. Both look astonished at me before they turn their attention towards Dragan.

“James” Dragan growls hard and I see James tense. Then Dragan mumbles a number of sentences on their remarkable language. James reply and nods seriously as his gaze flickers to me. Are they talking about _me_? Dragan puts his arm around me and kisses me gently on the forehead. What the Hell is happening?

“Stay here” he mumbles quietly. Then he releases his hold on me and leaves the room with Marcus just behind him. I am left confused with James as I look at Dragan leave me with no explanation.

“What’s going on?” I whisper and realise that I’ve actually said it out loud when I see James’s attention turn to me.

“You’re safe here, Arya” James promises and lays a calming hand on my shoulder. Well, that didn’t provide any explanation at all. I sigh heavily and let my tired body collapse into the soft couch. I shut my eyes while I suppress a yawn.

“You can sleep, I’ll watch over you” James says calmly and I nod, already too tired to talk. Where does that sudden fatigue come from? My body must be overloaded. All these feelings, all these impressions. Yes, overloaded indeed. I yawn loudly and let myself be lain down on the couch, while a heavy leather jacket is being put over me as a blanket.

“Sleep” James mumbles, but I do not reply, because I am already asleep.


	7. The escape

I wake up confused to the sound of a mobile phone ringing. I keep my eyes closed waiting for someone to come and turn it off – James, Dragan, Marcus or Santa Claus for that matter – just turn the damn thing off. No one does, so I sit up groggy and realise that I am alone in the living room. That annoying ringing is coming from the abandoned phone on the table. I reach for it.

“Hello?” I mumble, suppressing a yawn.

“Arya!”

My name is shouted in the other end and I immediately recognise the sound of Professor Howards desperate voice.

“Professor?” I ask confused. And bright awake. The sound of Howard’s voice makes adrenaline pump through my blood.

“No, but I have him right here next to me” a deep, masculine voice answers. It sends chills down my spine. Shit. This is not good.

“Now, listen up, _Arya_ , if you value your old professor’s life.”

An ugly déjà-vu runs through me. No, this is not good at all. Shit.

“Yes” I whisper horrified as I relive my old fear for Howard’s life.

“Good. Now here’s what you have to do. First, you need to get away from the overprotective fool you’re with. Can you do that?” the voice asks and my brain slowly begins to work. I go over all the escape plans in my mind. But how do I get away from here? No one is in the living room right now, true, but they can’t be far away. James was here when I fell asleep – oh no, how long have I been asleep? An hour? Ten hours? Dragan and Marcus left just before, but they can be anywhere by now. And I don’t even know where we are.

“No” I whisper sadly.

“You have to, Arya. Or the professor will lose his life” growls the hard voice insisting and a lump forms in my throat. Shit. What do I do?

“I can try” I whisper weakly and am rewarded with a satisfied growl from the other end of the conversation.

“ _Good girl_. Bring the phone with you. Call this number when you are safely away from the cabin.”

The line is disconnected. I sit on the couch completely numb with the phone still in my hand. Shit. What do I do now? I don’t have any choice. I need to get out of here. I need to save Professor Howard. Again. I get up from the couch and listen. I can’t hear anyone anywhere, but I still make it out to the hallway as silently as I can and listen again. Still nothing. I gently push the handle to the front door down. Shit. It’s locked. What do I do now? I grab my shoes from the floor and head back into the living room. The window is huge and wide, but wide enough for me to get out of? Only one way to find out, I guess. I quickly pull on Dragan’s leather jacket and run to the window. It is pitch black outside. I unlock the window as silently as possible and slowly crawl out of it, into the chilly autumn air, silently happy that I was smart enough to put on shoes and jacket. I’ve just put both feet on the ground, when the light in the living room is turned on. Shit. James’ large shadow appears in the doorway before I can react.

“Arya?” he calls and his eyes seek mine. The second they find me, my body sets in motion.

“Arya!” he shouts, but I ignore him and start to run away from the cabin, still grabbing the phone in one hand. I am disorientated and have absolutely no idea which way I am running or where I am going. I just run. Further away from the cabin, deep into the dark forest. I stop and catch my breath. I am _so_ not in shape to be running through a dark forest, especially when I’ve just woken up. The air around me is freezing and I can see my breath create a cloud of warmth as I pull the icy air down into my lungs. I lean against a thick tree, while I try to take deep breaths. I pick up the phone and press ‘recall’. The tone only ring once before being answered.

“Have you gotten away?” asks the dark voice deeply and curious, and I nod wildly.

“Yes” I whisper breathless, and bend my knees.

“ _Good girl_. Now here’s what’s going to happen. I want to trade your life for Howards. A prisoner for a prisoner. You need to get out of the forest, out to the highway, where one of my men will pick you up. Then you will be taken directly to me and once I have you bound and gagged next to me, I will release the professor. If you do not do this, the professor will die. If Dragan or any of his males follow you, the professor will die. The only way to save his life is for you to follow my instructions and trade yourself for him. Is that understood?”

My eyes get wet. I nod again. Shit.

“Yes” I whisper weakly, “but I don’t know where the highway is?”

“I will guide you out of the forest” the voice replies calmly and I straighten my back.

The voice starts to give me instructions and I follow them blindly. The only thought in my mind is Professor Howard and saving his life. I don’t think about my own life. I don’t think about how angry Dragan will be over this. I don’t think about why this stranger has Professor Howard or why he wants me. And I most certainly don’t think about that I might not get out of this alive. I don’t think at all. I just obey the voice. I follow the little path through the trees and soon it begins to thin out between them. I must be close to the highway.

“Good, Arya. You’re almost there. 200 meters ahead of you, you make a hard turn to the left and shortly thereafter the path will end. You will be at the highway and my male will be ready to pick you up. He will wait for exactly two minutes and then he’ll leave again. You don’t have a lot of time. Hurry.”

I pick up my pace. I am so focused on counting steps and meters, that I don’t hear the steps behind me before it’s too late. A pair of strong arms grab my waist from behind and I fall headfirst into the frozen soil. I don’t notice my knees scrapping against the little rocks even through my jeans or my palms being scrapped bloody and dirty. The only thing I notice is the phone that slides out of my grasp and lands about a meter from me.

“NO!” I scream startled and try to crawl to the phone, but those strong arms won’t let me go.

“Dammit, Arya!” Dragan exclaims angry behind me. My eyes get wet. Shit. Busted.

“Let me go, D!” I scream and again try to get out of his grasp. No luck. Dragan’s strong arms turn me around and he pins my arms to the ground.

“What the Hell are you doing, girl?” Dragan yells angrily and my eyes over float. I shake my head and look towards the phone. Dragan follows my gaze. Then he lifts himself and pulls me up in the same movement. I make a move to bend for the phone, but Dragan stops me and picks it up himself. He puts it on speaker and listens intensely.

“Arya?” the dark voice asks and Dragan’s body jerk. He knows the voice! Who is it? What does he want? Where is the professor?

“ _She is mine_ ” Dragan growls deep and the dark voice becomes quiet. The silence seems to last for hours, but it’s probably only a few seconds. Then the dark voice sighs heavily.

“Too bad you couldn’t obey, Arya. You know the consequence” the dark voice sighs resignedly, but in an indifferent tone and I hear movement in the other end.

“Arya!” I can hear the professor shout my name and then the sound of a gun being loaded.

“NO!” I scream and try to get out of Dragan’s hold, but he only tightens it.

“LET ME GO! Don’t do it, please! PROFESSOR!” I scream again and the tears fall to no end down my cheeks. Then we both hear the overwhelming sound of a gun being fired and the horrified scream from my poor professor. My body freezes and my brain stops functioning. No... this is not happening. This is just not happening. No!

“No, please, no...” I whisper horrified and the dark voice on the phone sigh heavily again.

“You had the chance to save him, Arya. You failed. I wonder who the next one will be?”

The conversation is ended. The after tone of that deep voice echoes in my mind alongside the sound of that gunshot. Slowly my senses return and the world around me comes back. And with it, the pain. The sorrow. The powerlessness. The guilt. The anger.

“This is your fault!” I scream into Dragan’s face and fight to get free. For a second he seems baffled and lets me fight, but he’s back in control a second later and grabs both my wrists to keep me calm. It doesn’t work.

“This is your fault, you bastard! You killed him! Why didn’t you let me save him?! Why didn’t you just let me go?! Why did you stop me?!” I scream, while I fight Dragan with everything I am. The tears pour out of me without any control. Dragan’s eyes are full of guilt, but still determined. He doesn’t budge. Miraculously I get one wrist free from his grab and I take advantage of the sudden freedom. My hand collides with Dragan’s cheek and the slap is so powerful, that it forces his head to the side. My palm burns with pain. Hopefully it hurts him more. Not that he seems to even notice. For a second I fear his retaliation, but I am so angry and so hurt, that I don’t even care. I almost pray for him to hit me back, just so I can feel some other pain than the one burning in my chest. But he doesn’t. He lets me give him all my rage until the grief is too much. My body collapses. I don’t have any more fight in me. I fall into Dragan’s arms, crying, and he hugs me tightly.

Dragan lifts me up into his arms and I hang around his neck like a little child. With calm and firm steps, he carries me back to the cabin. I don’t notice the road he’s taking or Marcus and James who’s standing in front of the cabin when we get back. Nor do I notice the other four men who have joined out little party. Dragan carries me into the cabin and gently lays me down on the bed. The same bed where we made passionately love just hours ago. It seems like a lifetime ago. I hold on to Dragan’s neck, refuses to let him let me go. He hugs me tighter and lies down on the bed next to me, with his arms tightly around me. No matter how angry I am at Dragan or how hurt and frustrated I am, I still need comfort and right now he’s all I’ve got. It’s a strange feeling; hating a person you so desperately need.

“He is in a better place now” Dragan mumbles after a little while. I exclaim a high pitched sound.

“There is no heaven” I whisper and squeeze my eyes shut. I am tired. So damned tired. How exhausting it is to cry so much.

“You don’t know that, Arya” Dragan mumbles to me and I shake my head in disbelief.

“You really think my parents and brother are sitting in heaven, playing backgammon and eating ice cream? No. Their bodies were buried a long time ago and now there’s nothing left of them. They are gone. I have seen death and it’s not heavenly. I know what happens when we leave this place and there is no God to save us, Dragan.” He signs heavily.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, girl.”

I shut my mouth. There is no reason for this conversation. No reason to discuss this further, to discuss something that we clearly will never agree on. Professor Howard is dead. And it’s my fault. ‘I wonder who the next one will be.’ The dark voice’s last words are burned into my mind. Shit. Is he going to kill more people that I care about? But who? There is no one left. No one who matters. Not that that matters. Even if he had a stranger, an innocent I didn’t know, I would still try to save that person’s life. Because the mere thought of someone, let alone someone I care about like Howard dying because of _me_... it’s unbearable. I can’t bear it, it’s my fault.

Dragan tightens his grip around me and pulls me out of me depressing thoughts.

“You promised to obey me” Dragan grunts hard and I open my eyes. Shit. I did promise that. And I didn’t obey him. He asked me to stay and I ran. But doesn’t he understand why? Doesn’t he understand that I couldn’t let someone, an innocent like poor professor Howard get hurt, because of me?

“Are you serious?” I ask in disbelief as I pull out of his arms and turn towards him. Dragan is fast. Shit, he is so damn fast! He grabs me hard and pulls me down to his thighs. He positions me on my stomach on them, as he holds my upper body down with one arm.

“You ran from me, Arya. So I need to punish you. Maybe you’ll learn some obedience then. “

Shit. Seriously? Is he going to–

Slam! A hard slap lands across my buttocks and I scream in surprise and pain. Shit! He’s punishing me! I lose count of how many times he hits me, but after the seventh or so, I stop screaming. I grit my teeth and take every bit of his punishment. We’re probably around 20 hits or so, when Dragan stop and pulls me up from his lap. His hands grab my upper arms.

“Are you going to obey me now?” he growls hard.

“Yes, D” I whisper weakly, but I hold his eyes with my own. I’m not defeated. I will now give him the satisfaction of seeing me defeated.

“I can’t have you not obeying me, Arya. I need to know that you are safe. I need you protected. If you can’t fucking obey me, I will punish you again. Is that understood?”

I stare at him hard and refuse to submit to him.

“Don’t you understand why I did it? I know what I promised you. I know that I didn’t obey you. But Howard’s life was on the line. I didn’t have a choice. I had to save him!”

“But you didn’t, did you? You didn’t save him! You put yourself at risk for nothing! Dammit, Arya, didn’t you for one second think about yourself? Your own safety? If Ozera had gotten his filthy hands on you...” He shakes his head in disbelief.

“I can’t even think it. The mere thought of it makes me want to kill someone.”

Dragan tightens his grip on me more. Harder. I wonder if it’s possible to break someone’s bones by squeezing them too hard? Then his words hit me. _Ozera_.

“Who is he?” I whisper uncertain and feel Dragan’s body stiffen. It takes him a while to answer me. Seconds that feels like days.

“Chris Ozera” Dragan mumbles and I await further explanation. But Dragan remains silent. I’m about to open my mouth to ask, when Dragan’s phone start to ring. Stupid phone always ringing at the worst times. He reluctantly releases his grip on me and picks up the phone. I fall back on the bed, exhausted, weak and emotionally spend. I shut my eyes and breathe heavily. Again. And again, while I try to tune out Dragan’s presence. It works a bit. But I still hear Dragan’s words.

“Fuck that, I want to know exactly where he is and what he’s planning. No way in Hell is he getting his hands on her. No. No, I’m not allowing that. Yeah we’re staying here. Aha. I see. No, I don’t want her scared like that. I can take care of her.” His eyes fixates on me, I can feel them burn on my face.

“I don’t care that it’s Ozera! He will not bully me into obedience. I won’t let that happen. She stays with me. End of discussion.”

Dragan demands my full attention as he finishes the conversation and I feel the bed move under his weight. He sits next to me and I can feel his warm palm close around my wrist. With a quick move, he lies down next to me and pulls me up onto his broad chest. Those strong arms tighten around me and I feel Dragan’s body relax a bit. A heavy, spicy scent is emitting from his skin. Is that his cologne? I tuck my nose into his chest and take a deep breath. I sign without realising it.

“Arya?” Dragan mumbles.

“Yes, D?”

“Can you smell me?” he whispers astonished. I blush.

“Yeah, I can smell you, is that your cologne?” I whisper into his skin. Dragan hugs me tighter. The scent is enhanced.

“No, it’s my bonding. My scent is all over you. It’s inside of you. That’s how my race knows whom you belong to. It’s also a warning.”

I make a face.

“A warning?” I ask concerned.

“Yes, a warning to other males. It lets them know who will come after them with a gun is his hand if they touch you” he growls and I actually smile a bit at that as I think back. Torn limbs, right.

“You take this whole ‘ _bonded male’_ -thing pretty serious, don’t you?” I whisper a bit saddened. It’s overwhelming and a complete overreaction. Isn’t it?

“It’s my nature. Males who are bonded are dangerous. We kill to protect our females. That’s how it’s always been. That’s how it’ll always be. We don’t control it ourselves. It’s in our nature” Dragan replies and adds: “I will do everything to protect you, Arya.”

I nod into his chest. I know. I read it in an ancient book back in the living room, but hearing it from Dragan puts it in a new perspective. This isn’t a book, this isn’t just old words. This is reality and this bonded male is almost crushing me in his arms right now. His seriousness puts the whole week in perspective. Poor Professor Howard. ‘I wonder who the next one will be?’ Ozera’s words slam into my thoughts. Dragan feels me body tense.

“What is it?” he mumbles into my hair and kisses me gently on the top of my head.

“Ozera” I whisper and now it’s Dragan’s body that tenses.

“He will never touch you, Arya. I promise.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about, D. He said: ‘I wonder who the next one will be’. He means to kill someone else. Because of me. I can’t let that happen” I exclaim seriously. Dragan hugs me tighter.

“Forget it, Arya. You are never getting anywhere near Ozera. I don’t give a shit about who he kills. He’s never touching _you_.”

Dragan’s tone is hard. This is the end of the conversation, but I cannot let it go. Ozera is going to kill again because of me. I simply cannot live with that. _I_ give a shit.

“Dragan... I can’t let someone else die because of me. I don’t care who this Ozera is, but I can’t let him-” I start slowly, but Dragan interrupts me hard.

“You don’t care who he is? You wouldn’t be saying that if you knew who he was. And I said, _forget it_. You’re never getting anywhere near him. He’s too powerful. It’s not going to happen.”’

I sigh heavily. Suddenly Dragan sits up in the bed and I gasp in surprise. What now? His dark eyes seek mine and his gaze is serious and hard.

“Promise me you won’t do anything stupid, Arya. Promise me, you won’t leave me no matter what Ozera does” he growls hard and serious. He grabs my wrists and pulls me up next to him.

“ _Promise me_.”

I sink hard. How can I promise something I know for sure I cannot keep? The despair is taking over my body. Torn between the promise of the safety in Dragan’s arms, and the knowledge that if Ozera threatens anyone else, I will run to him as fast as I can.

“Dragan” I whisper and feel my eyes get wet. Dragan’s eyes are hard and determined.

“I don’t want to leave you.”

I throw his own words back at him. ‘I don’t want to hurt you’, he said, not that he wasn’t going to do it. Am I lying? Do I not want to leave him? I _am_ attracted to the safety that Dragan is offering, but there is an insecurity to it. Dragan looks at me with hard eyes and then he shakes his head.

“That’s not good enough” he mumbles and gets up from the bed. He grabs my wrists again and pulls me up with him. He drags me out from the bedroom with a hard jerk. Where are we going? I don’t ask. His attitude is menacing and his movements are serious and determined. He is the dominating Dragan right now. And I dare not go up against him.

“James!” he yells as we make our way down the narrow corridor and a second later James appears in front of us. Dragan stops in the middle of the corridor, so abruptly that I knock into his back in surprise. James looks expectantly at Dragan; maybe he senses the tense attitude or the serious aura around Dragan?

“Take Arya into the living room. And make sure she stays put. You do not take your eyes off her at any time, not for one damn second. Is that clear?” he grunts angry and James nods.

“I will protect her with my life” James replies serious. Dragan pulls me in front of him and pushes me into the arms of James. James supports me and I turn around while my eyes seek Dragan's.

“And you...” Dragan grabs one of my upper arms while his other hand is raised and I close my eyes in fear as it swings towards me. The blow is hard and forces my head to the side. I scream in pain. The same hand grabs my jaw and forces my head forward. I open my eyes again. Dragan’s dark eyes are hard and terrifying.

“You will do _exactly_ as you’re told. You do not go anywhere without James. I don’t care of the fucking house burns down around you or if the third world war erupts – You. Stay. Right. Fucking. Here. Is that understood, Arya?”

The tone in his voice scares me. I nod weakly.

“Is that understood, _girl_?!” Dragan yells at me. I take a step back in fear of him hitting me again, but my back hits James’ chest. I nod quickly.

“Yes, D” I answer weakly while my eyes get wetter. Dragan stares at me for the longest time and I feel cowed by his hardness. Then he nods briefly, lets me go, turns around and disappears down the corridor. The silence takes over and I am left completely numb, still with my back up against James. The front door slams with heavy force and I jerk in surprise. My body starts to function again. I turn around and look up at James, whose eyes are serious, but I think I see a hint of pity in them.

“Come” he says and reaches for me. James grabs my arm and takes me through the cabin into the living room, where I let myself sink down on the couch. Deja-vu. I remember how I sat exactly like this just hours ago. I yawn again. Just like before. What is it with this couch? Is it a gateway to dreamland?

“You can sleep, Arya. I won’t leave you this time” James says and I look up at him. His eyes are serious but calm. I sigh again. And yawn. Then I lie down on the long couch and pull my legs up under me, while I close my eyes. The darkness takes over my thoughts and I welcome it. I fall asleep with the feeling of being watched.


	8. Chris Ozera

“Fuck!”

I am abruptly pulled out of the sweetness of sleep and sit up straight on the couch, completely disorientated and sleepy. James is standing up, facing the window with a gun in his hand. It has started to brighten outside. The sight of James’ ready-for-action-pose is making adrenaline pump through my blood. Shit. What’s happening now?

“James?” I ask softly, but James doesn’t reply. His full attention is on the window as if he expects ninjas to come flying in at any second. They don’t. It’s the door to the living room that’s being kicked open and I exclaim a surprised scream. James spins around, but he’s not fast enough. Like ants from an anthill, heavily armed men enter the living room faster than anyone should be able to. They surround James within seconds and point their guns at him.

“No!” I scream without thinking, and it is as if all these men suddenly notice my presence, but they apparently don’t deem me as a threat, because they turn their attention towards James after a brief glance at me. I arise from the couch with a quick move and throw myself in front of the closest gun in a desperate – and ridiculously stupid – attempt to stop the men from hurting James. What the Hell am I thinking? The gun in front of me clicks as it’s loaded and I take a deep breath, fearing it will be my last.

“ _Stop_.”

I don’t hear where the word is coming from, but the authority in the voice is loud and clear as the word echoes in the room. And I immediately recognise the voice: it’s the dark voice from the phone call! This is the mysterious Chris Ozera’s voice! I turn towards the door opening in the same second as yet another man enters the living room but I don’t see him. Everything is happening so fast. I see James turn his head towards the newly arrived. His body tenses even more than before and a second later, he has grabbed me hard and pushed me behind him, so he shields me from my view to the door. A deep laughter fills the room.

“A noble try, Belaruz, but nevertheless useless. You know who I am. You know what I want. I want the human. Either you give her to me or I will take her with force. Your choice.”

Ozera’s voice is calm and arrogant. My heart pumps harder than before. Shit. It’s me he wants! Chris Ozera, who before was an unknown voice on the phone, is now very real and standing only a few feet from me. It doesn’t matter that I can’t see him; I know he is there, I know who he is and I know what he wants. He just said it, for fuck sake. Me! Shit. James tightens his grip on the gun. Without thinking, I grab his arm in the same second as he pulls the trigger and stop him from getting a clean shot. Instead the bullet hits the doorframe just above Ozera’s head. What the Hell am I doing? Why did I stop him? Chris stands very still and a wide grin spreads on his face as he nods once. I don’t have time to react before the men surrounding us have overpowered both James and me. James is struck down and taken to the floor, where they force his arms behind his back and puts a gun to his head. Two large men grab me. Their strong hands force my arms behind my back, and my muscles ache from trying to get free. Two grown and very well-trained men against me? Even if they were normal human I would never stand a chance. And they’re not. These are those mysterious The Others males. I’m very sure of that. Not that it stops me from trying, but a movement catches my attention and my body freezes. I look up.

For the first time I have a clear view at this unknown Chris Ozera and the sight shuts my body down. Shit. Chris Ozera is tall, huge and powerful. He has to bend his head to not hit the doorframe, so he must be more than 6ft 7in, probably closer to 6ft 11in. He’s as wide as the door, his body hard and overwhelming. His hair is thick and blonde, his face a hard mask of masculinity and arrogance. The black T-shirt is tight and shows off his broad chest, while black, green and red colours wind down those hard-muscled arms, all the way down to his hands. Tattoos. But it’s not even his superior physical appearance that terrifies me. No, what terrify me are his eyes. They are steel grey, serious, arrogant, triumphant and deeply horrifying. This is a man – no, a _male_ – who has seen all the bad shit in the world, because he has caused it himself. The animalistic nature of his posture is so clear that I have no doubt about him being one of The Others. Shit. Slowly he starts to move through the living room, towards me; a huge predator moving in on its prey. Shit. _I’m the prey_. I try to move back, away from the predator in front of me, but my captures don’t release their grip and I cannot escape. I can’t even move an inch. My heart pumps hard and fear races through me.

“Arya?” Chris Ozera asks astonished, but I am too scared to reply. When he is barely 3 feet from me he stops abruptly with a surprised look in his grey eyes. I see him take a deep breath and fixate those piercing eyes on me. I move a bit closer to the males holding me.

“He has bonded with you” Chris states in surprise and I nod very weakly. He can smell Dragan on me! The surprise in Chris’ face fades and is replaced with an overriding triumph. He steps in close to me. The heat from his body radiates towards me, it’s like standing too close to bonfire. His scent reaches my nose and goose bumps spread down my back. 100% masculinity. He’s all male. A second later one of his hands has reached out and grabbed my fragile neck, my arms are free and Chris pulls me into his body by pulling me at my neck. I gasp for air and grab his thick wrist with both my hands. The contact to his skin sends electricity through my body and I gasp out loud. He doesn’t even notice it. His face is just inches away from mine, when Chris puts his nose to my skin and takes a deep breath. I hold mine.

“I can smell him all over you. It’s intoxicating. The warning on your skin is so clear, that I cannot let you go” Chris whispers warmly, but the warmth in his voice is like a bucket of ice water in my blood. The mere thought of him touching me, his skin against mine, gives me the chills. Chris tightens his grip on my neck and pushes me backwards. I have no choice. My back hits the wall behind me just next to the window with a hard jolt. I exclaim a surprised and painful scream, but am immediately distracted from the pain by Chris stepping into my body. He is so close, that I can feel him from my knees and all the way up to my breasts that is being pressed in against the top of his hard stomach. I feel trapped by the bonfire; there is heat everywhere around me. I’m surrounded by fire. Chris bends a little and my breasts are being pressed in against the ripped muscles until his face is just in front of mine. Those steel grey eyes sparkle with excitement, anticipation and fascination.

“You know who I am, Arya?” Chris whispers questionably and I nod as much as his grip around my neck allows me to. Chris smiles pleased.

“Good. Then you’ll come with me like the good girl that you are, because you know what I can do to you and those you care about if you do not obey me, right Arya?”

I nod again, this time with tears in my eyes. Yeah, because obeying is what I do best. Shit.

“Now I’m going to release you, but you will not move, will you?”

Chris’ voice is hypnotic. I shake my head. Do I have a choice? I feel the grip on my neck loosen very slowly and suppress the urge to reach for my throat. I let my hands fall to the side instead and move out from the wall, still keeping my eyes locked with Chris’. He smiles approvingly and opens his mouth, but before he can speak another word, the sound of heavy footsteps sound in the corridor. With a quick move, Chris grabs me and pulls be backwards into his huge arms and I feel the cold steel being pressed against my throat. Shit. The fear pounds through my blood, quickly followed by the adrenaline. My breathing becomes faster and I feel the panic take a hold on me. Shit. What happens now? My only thought is Dragan and what will happen if he comes through that door and sees me in the arms of Ozera. Will he lose his temper? Will Chris shoot me? Are his men going to shoot Dragan? What about James? Shit! Chris tightens his arm around my waist and I breathe fast.

“Easy, _female_ ” he whispers warmly into my ear, and I grab that hard underarm around me for support, as I squeeze my eyes shut. My nails dig into the colourful patterns on his skin.

“Breathe deeply, relax your body” Chris whispers calmingly and I obey. I take a deep breath while relaxing my body in his arms, and feel the panic loosen a bit while I am being pressed deeper into Chris’ hard body. In that second, the boots reach the door and I open my eyes in fear. It’s not Dragan. Relief and disappointment flow through me at the same time. The man in the doorway has his gun raised, but stops the second he sees the situation in the living room: me held at gunpoint in the arms of Chris Ozera, James bound on the floor with a gun to his head and the daunting number of armed men in the room. Two men step up behind him in the doorway, and it takes me a few seconds to recognise them from before: Marcus and his right hand. Check.

“Fuck...” I see the word on Marcus’ lips before he steps forwards and lowers his gun with slow movements.

“Ozera” Marcus greets with hard voice and Chris presses the gun harder against my throat as a reply. I gasp involuntarily and dig my nails deeper into the skin on Chris’ arm around my waist. I hope it hurts him, but he doesn’t even seem to notice it. Marcus opens his mouth, but then he makes eye contact with James and slowly his mouth closes again. Checkmate.

“Marcus Thomasson” Chris announces with a cheerful voice and takes a step forward. I follow him without protest, basically carried from the hard grip on my waist and the gun at my throat.

“Where is he?” Chris asks and Marcus’ face registers cluelessness, before he realises that Chris is asking about Dragan.

“Not here” Marcus replies and I can literally feel the annoyance radiate from Chris’ body. Shit. Wrong answer.

“Obviously” Chris replies mockingly while he shakes me a bit to underline his reply, as if there would be no way for him to be holding me in his arms if Dragan was here.

“So where is he?”

Marcus clears his throat a bit while his eyes scan everything in the living room. His gaze fixates on me for a moment before he replies.

“I don’t know” Marcus exhales in surrender. Chris seems to think about it for a bit, while he considers the sincerity if Marcus’ reply. Then he sighs determinedly. The movement presses me harder into his steel hard body.

“Well, it doesn’t even matter. As long as I have _this one_ with me, he’ll come to me.” Chris underline the words _this one_ by giving me another jerk. He looks around at his men and I feel him nod. The tension in the room lifts and without words, the many men starts to move towards the door. Marcus and his friends step aside. Chris starts to walk towards the door too, still with me in his arms, but stops right in front of the bound and unconscious James. He doesn’t need to speak. I know what he’s thinking.

“I’ll do as you say, I promise” I whisper so weakly, that only Chris can hear it. He doesn’t need James. I know what he did to Howard. I saw how easy it was for him to invade the cabin and how easy it was for him to get his hands on me. He doesn’t need leverage. I will do as he says because I know how easy it is for him to hurt others. People I care about. Chris seems to consider my words.

“Disobey me and I will kill the first person I see. Understood?” he replies hard and serious. I nod fast.

“Say it” Chris growls hard. His tone chills my blood.

“I understand, _Chris_ ” I whisper weakly. I feel the satisfaction over my reply in his hard body and then Chris starts to walk again. I am involuntarily being dragged with him, lifted and almost carried by his hard grip around me. I make eye contact with Marcus, whose eyes are defeated, compassionate and furious. I nod calmingly as if to say that it’s okay, but I’m not convincing either of us. Chris carries me past Marcus and the others, down the corridor, out of the cabin and out into the chilly morning air. The sun has just risen and the light blinds me, while Chris carries me towards a parked car. He gets in the backseat of a huge Land Rover with me on his lap. The car is big enough for me to be sitting on Chris’ huge thighs without banging my head against the ceiling. Impressive, really. Chris doesn’t release his hold on me at any time as the car speeds up and races through the forest. But as we move further away from the cabin, Chris slowly lowers the gun from my throat. I take a deep breath. I wasn’t even aware that I was holding it. The fire around my body and the scent of Chris Ozera makes me dizzy. Even being in Dragan’s arms never felt this... _good_. As I start to relax in his hold, Chris starts to loosen it. Suddenly the car takes a hard turn to the right, which makes me lose my balance. I reach for something to hold on to, but find nothing. Instead I feel myself being slung to the side and fear the impact against the door. But it doesn’t happen. Chris is fast. His arms close around my waist and instead of me banging my head against the door, I feel myself being pulled down in under Chris’ body and we both fall down on the seat. Chris’ weight on me is crushing; I gasp for air and put my hands against his broad chest to push him off me. Not that he even notices my weak attempt to pry him off me. I look up. Chris is so still on top of me, his hard arms locked around me and his face just a few inches from mine. Those steel grey eyes are glowing, piercing and so damned intense. It’s like he sees right through me. It’s uncomfortable. I clear my throat and try to push him off me again. The feeling of his body so close to mine in this very intimate position is overwhelming all of my senses. A weird thought goes through my head: is he about to kiss me? Shit, Dragan would freak out if he was here.

“You’re really Dragan's?” Chris whispers in surprise, while his eyes hold mine. I nod weakly. His eyebrows come together in disbelief.

“Why?”

Now I stare at him in disbelief. Why what?

“Why are you his?”

I blink a few times. What does he mean? Why am I Dragan's? I’m not. Not really. I’m forced to be and I haven’t had a choice in that matter. Even if I did have sex with him out of my free will that one time, I’m still not his. But I’m most certainly not going to let this stranger know that. I take a deep breath while I consider what to reply.

“I don’t know” I reply slowly and can hear for myself how broken my voice it. I clear my throat again.

“I’ve chosen to be his.”

I try to make my voice as convincing as possible, but I don’t even convince myself. Chris stares seriously at me, as if he’s trying to read in my face if I’m lying or not. Apparently satisfied with the sincerity in my reply or maybe he’s just accepting my lie, he smiles slowly but firm.

“I didn’t think Homo sapiens could _bond_ , but maybe I was wrong. Or maybe you’re not quite as much human as you think you are” Chris mumbles almost to himself. What the Hell does that mean? Of course I’m human! I am not some kind of freak from their crazy race that’s still on the Neanderthal-stage of the evolution. The second the thought goes through my mind, Chris raises an eyebrow. Shit. Is he reading my mind?!

“No, Arya, I can’t read your mind. But I can read you. Surprisingly well, actually.”

He moves his head closer to mine and gently rub his nose against my cheek. I gasp for air. He’s just so _close_.

“Hmm... you smell of Homo sapiens, but your scent is mixed. You’re not fully one of us, I think. Maybe one of your ancestors was? It can’t have been too far back, your scent is simply too strong. Although Others and humans haven’t mixed in centuries, mixed couples do happen.”

A bitter smile follows his words. I try to make sense of what he’s saying, but that crushing heat on top of me is too distracting. I can’t concentrate on anything besides breathing.

“ _Chris_...” I whisper hoarsely, the lack of air makes my eyes roll back a bit. Chris immediately lifts himself off me and pulls me up with him.

“I’m not used to being around humans. I forget how fragile you are” Chris mumbles, but I am too preoccupied with getting my breathing under control. Shit, he was so heavy. And I thought that Dragan was heavy to have on top of you, but I was very wrong. Chris is _so_ much more male and _so_ much heavier. I close my eyes and take another deep breath. Instinctively I feel the tension in the car shift and Chris’ body hardens. Shit. What now? I open my eyes. A silent communication is happening between Chris and the driver, even though they aren’t saying a word to each other. Not out loud. What’s happening? Chris turns towards me and grabs my wrist. I look at him confused. Those grey eyes are intense, annoyed and a bit... what? Sad? His free hand grabs the back of my neck and I feel the panic take over. Shit.

“Chris?” I ask insecure.

“I’m sorry, Arya, this is the safest for you” he mumbles and presses his thumb into the back of my neck. I feel something break under his finger. Then everything becomes black and I remember nothing else, as I pass out.


	9. Dress-up Sally locked in a bedroom

The world around me slowly comes back.

Damn. What happened? My head hurts. My eyes sting when I try to open them. I’m lying on something soft. A bed, maybe? Slowly I open my eyes. The room is bathed in sunlight and the sharp rays of the sun intensify the pain in my eyes. I slowly sit up. Yup, I’m lying on a bed. A large king sized bed with a deep dark blue bedspread on top. The room is decorated like a practical bedroom/office and that deep blue colour is a theme everywhere I look. On one of the walls is an oil painting that looks to be very old. Very old as in ancient old. It reminds me of those old history books from The Others. Wonder if this painting is another heirloom from the race? Hmm. I look around the room again and now I notice the chair by the desk. Its back is draped in dark blue fabric, but not like a pillow. More like something that’s been thrown over it? I get up from the bed and pick up the fabric. It’s a dress; a simple, evening dress in the deepest midnight blue colour with a wide black ribbon to tie under the chest. I look down at the clothes I’m wearing. It’s been through at lot since yesterday. My jeans are torn and dirty from the fall in the forest, my sweater is ripped and honestly, it could all use a serious cleaning. Or maybe it just needs to be thrown away. For a brief second I consider changing into the dress, but I immediately shake that thought away. Why on earth would I wear something that Chris has picked out for me? And I know it’s him who’s chosen it. I know. I don’t know _how_ I know, but I just know. I put the dress back on the chair just as the door to the bedroom opens. It’s not Chris. I silently exhale, not even realising that I held my breath for those few seconds.

“Miss Malvern?” the young lad who just entered asks. He can’t be more than barely legal, maybe in his late teens. He’s young, skinny and clearly human. What the Hell is he doing here with all these psychopaths? What am _I_ doing here with them? And where does this lad know my name from? I nod in confirmation to the lad. He bows gently in front of me and disappears into the large bathroom attached to the bedroom. He’s closed and locked the door behind him, so there’s no way for me to escape. He’s back within seconds so even if I had had a chance, it’s definitely gone now.

“There are things for your comfort in the bathroom, Miss Malvern. If you need anything else, ask me when I come to check on you.”

With those words, the young lad turns around, unlocks the door and leaves me alone again. I hear the lock click into place. Alright then. How do I get out of here? I know what I said to Chris about obeying him, but technically he hasn’t ordered me to stay in this bedroom so it’s not disobedience to try to leave it. Or maybe it is. But I’m going to do it anyway. I stalk over to the large window in hope of being able to open it and jump out like I did in the cabin, but when I look out, I notice that there’s a long way down. We must be on the second or third floor of whatever house we’re in. The window can be opened, but there’s no way I can survive jumping down from here. And even if I did, I’d break half my body from the impact to the ground. No. I’m going to have to find another way. I try the bathroom, but there’s only a very small window almost up under the ceiling. It’s too small for me to fit through and I’d have the same problem with the distance as I had in the bedroom. What now?

I hear the door to the bedroom unlock, but freeze in place, sacred of who’s entered.

“Arya?”

A deep, dark voice calls. Shit. It’s _him_. I slowly walk back into the bedroom. Yup, it’s him alright. Chris Ozera is standing in the door opening, tall and broad and scary as fuck. My memory has not done him justice.

“Why are you still wearing those dirty clothes?” Chris asks disapprovingly and out of reflex I look down at myself. Then I level my eyes at Chris.

“Because I don’t have anything else with me” I reply as I shrug and see the muscles in Chris’ jaw tighten in annoyance.

“There is a perfectly nice dress hanging right here. You will wear that. I don’t want you running around my home looking like _that_ ” Chris says hard. I stare at him in a challenge of wills.

“And you seriously think that I am going to wear something that _you_ gave me? I don’t think so” I reply spiteful and surprise myself as much as I surprise Chris. Why am I defying him?! Something flashes in those grey eyes and a second too late, I realise that I’ve crossed the line. Chris’ anger explodes. He’s fast. Shit, he is _so_ fast. Barely a second has passed and he has closed the distance between us and grabbed my upper arms. He pushes me back until I hit the wall with a loud thumb. Ouch.

“You really are a fighter, aren’t you? I’m surprised that Dragan hasn’t tamed you and taught you how to obey yet. He’s clearly not doing a good job, so maybe I should take over for him” Chris growls and presses his large body close to mine. I am surrounded by fire and masculinity. And power. The fear races through me. I breathe heavily. Shit. What is he going to do to me?

“Mmm I can smell your fear. It suits you to be afraid, Arya. You _should_ be afraid.”

Chris releases one of my arms and that large hand grabs my jaw. He tilts my head to the side and those steel grey eyes focus on my cheek. Shit. Do I have a mark? A bruise from where Dragan hit me earlier? Chris doesn’t say anything. His huge hand releases my jaw only do grab my neck instead. The panic spreads in me. Shit. His grey eyes hold mine, while the hand slowly tightens its grip. I desperately grab his thick wrist. He doesn’t even notice my hand’s weak attempt at removing his fist from my fragile throat.

“It would be a shame to end it all now. Especially when I can use you for so much more” Chris mumbles and rubs his nose over my cheek, while he takes a deep breath. Then his hand releases my neck. I exhale in relief. Slowly Chris lifts the pressure off my body as he moves away from me and lets me go. He nods determined.

“You will put on that dress. Or I will have someone do it for you.”

With those words he turns and leaves the bedroom. I hear the lock click into place again and sink down on the large bed while I exhale slowly. Great, I’ve been reduced to Dress-up Sally. I was a slave with Dragan and with Chris I’m a doll. But a speaking doll apparently, because why the fuck am I talking back at him? Chris Ozera is the scariest man – male whatever - I’ve ever met and I defy him like it’s my nature to do so. I didn’t even dare talk back to Dragan, I just became this obedient slave doing what its master wanted. Well, almost, anyway. But still. Chris is not Dragan. He is so much more. He’s so much more male, so much more powerful, so much more.. _more_.

I sigh again. And then I stand up and pick up the dress. I head for the bathroom.

I stare at my own reflection in the great mirror over the sink Shit. I look like a zombie. My eyes are big, red and swollen after all those tears and not enough sleep. My hair is messy and hangs in large lumps down my back and shoulders. My skin is pale. My clothes are dirty and torn. Yep, I could be a stand-in for the next episode of Breaking Bad and they didn’t even have to put make-up on me. I sigh again. Then I notice the large bag on the floor next to the cabinet. What is that? I open the back and exhale deeply. Of course. What else..? Everything a woman needs; brush, shampoo, make-up, crème, perfume, toothbrush and everything else imaginable. Shit. It even has the perfume I normally wear. Boss Femme. How the Hell did he know? And why does it matter?

*

I found an old copy of “The count of Monte Cristo” in a drawer next to the bed and couldn’t help myself. So I’ve been lying on the bed for the past few hours reading. The door suddenly opens and I almost yelp in surprise. Chris enters and looks over at me, still lying on the bed with the book in my hand. A wry smile appears on his lips.

“I see you found some entertainment” he says, nodding to the book. I slowly nod back. My pulse is racing, mostly out of fear but also because it’s _him_. Chris Ozera. My body remembers how it felt to be held in his huge arms and pressed tightly into that hard, warm body while... I pull myself out of the thoughts and look up at Chris. Mother Nature help me, he’s smiling. Widely and triumphantly. I feel my cheeks burn and look down.

“Have you read it before?

I jerk my head up in surprise. Chris is standing right in front of the bed, so close that I can practically feel the warmth of his body radiate towards me.

“Yeah, I have. I read quite a lot” I whisper. Chris smiles again.

“Perhaps I should arrange for some other books to be brought to you while you’re here” he mumbles and looks down at the book in my hands. Seriously? He would do that for me? I nod slowly.

“Thank you” I whisper and am rewarded with a slow smile.

“So what do you think of it?” Chris asks, nodding to the book. Ah what? Is he asking me what I think about the book?

“I ahm...” I start, but struggle to find the words. My mind is still not over the fact that my kidnapper is asking my thoughts on a book.

“I haven’t read it in years. But I remember liking it. Someone is wrongfully accused and punished, plans a genius escape and then he sets out to get his revenge. What’s not to like about that?”

Chris’ smile spreads as his eyes sparkle down to me.

“That dress suits you.”

The compliment is so out of the blue and so sincere, that I don’t even know how to respond to it. I feel my cheeks burn red. Oh, shut up, body. Chris turns around and walks over to the desk. He goes through the drawers but I don’t really pay attention to him. The door to the hallway is half-open and I quickly calculate my chances of getting past Chris and out of the bedroom before he grabs me. 5 %? Maybe 10 % if I’m lucky?

“Don’t even think about it, _female_ ” Chris growls deep and I jerk my head towards him. He still has his back turned to me and he’s gently closing one of the drawers. What? How did he know what I was going to –

“I can smell your determination.”

Chris turns towards me and slowly approaches the bed again. As he sits down on it, I pull back, so I now sit on the far side of the large bed with Chris on the other side. He crooks a smile at me.

“Your scent changed when you started thinking about escaping. Before when we were talking about the books and I complimented you, your scent was sweet and gentle. Lovely, actually. Then you thought of escaping and your scent changed to something sharp and powerful. Because you are determined to get out, but let me save you some trouble; you won’t escape. This mansion is a fortress and I am its general. You are my prisoner and you will not be able to escape like Dantés did. Is that understood?”

I sink hard. And nod very slowly.

“How is all this real?” I whisper, mostly to myself, but Chris’ eyebrows pull down in wonder over my words.

“How is what real?”

“This.”

I take a deep breath and gesture around us, and then to him.

“ _You_. A whole other race living between us humans but no one knows. How can no one know? How can you guys have been staying hidden forever without any humans finding out?”

I shake my head in disbelief. Chris crooks another smile for me.

“Because humans are stupid, Arya” he replies arrogantly, then adds; “No offence.”

“None taken” I mumble but I _do_ take a bit offence. I am definitely _not_ stupid. _He_ is stupid. Chris cracks a wide smile.

“ _You’re_ not stupid, but most of the human race is. There are a few, like your Professor Howard, who’s aware of us or at the very least suspect about us, but we do our best to make sure we stay hidden.”

“Is that why you killed him?” I ask weakly and feel my eyes get wet by the thought of Professor Howard dead.

“No.”

Chris shakes his head.

“I killed him because you disobeyed me.”

I jerk my head up and challenge those steel grey eyes.

“I didn’t!” I exclaim, “I obeyed you! I ran just as you told me to do! It wasn’t my fault that Dragan stopped me. I _did_ obey you. I did what you told me to do. That’s obedience.”

Chris stares at me for a long time and his eyes are hard, but I am staring right back at him, not crumbling under his hard stare. Then he sighs and the hardness eases up. A bit.

“You didn’t get away like you were told to do” he says as a matter of fact, “So you didn’t obey me. You should have tried harder.”

Is he kidding me? I feel my cheeks burn red from anger, and want nothing else than to unleash it and direct it straight at Chris. Chris starts to laugh and the laugh confuses me enough for my anger to fade a bit.

“You are a strong one, aren’t you? A strong fighter. Must be your Others- genes playing in there. I haven’t known that many humans, but from what I’ve been told and what little I have experienced myself, humans tend to be weak. You are definitely not weak, _female_ ” he mumbles to me as his eyes roam around my face and down my body. Is he checking me out again? My cheeks burn again, but not from anger. This is a different kind of heat that burns in my body and I try to hide it with anger instead. No way am I going to let Chris know how his stare affects me.

“Don’t call me _female_ , I’m not one of your crazy con-specifics. I am a human, so I am a _woman_ ” I snap back at him while straightening my back a bit. Chris’ smile widens. Not the reaction I was going for, actually, it just pisses me more off. Not that I can do anything about it. But at least he didn’t hit me or something.

“How long have you been with Dragan?” Chris asks in a sudden chance of subject and the change catches me off guard.

“Huh?” I reply dumfound. Chris smiles widely.

“Dragan? Your boyfriend, _your male_? How long have you been his?”

 _I’m not_ , is what I want to say, but I don’t. I shake my head a bit while I count days. Shit. Days!

“Since Friday” I reply flat. Chris’ eyebrow shoots up in disbelief.

“Friday? You do know that today is Monday? So you’ve only been with him for three days?”

I nod to confirm. Chris snorts at me

” Oh I find that very hard to believe, _female_.”

I kick my chin up as a reply to his snorting at me and the constant _female_ -calling.

“Believe what you want, that is the truth” I snap. Those steel grey eyes hold mine for a long time.

“He bonded with you after just three days?” Chris mumbles low while his eyes roam over my face and I nod again. Chris suddenly moves over the bed in a fast movement and I gasp in surprise. He sits right in front of me, _so_ damned close I can’t breathe right. Chris takes a deep breath as if he is smelling my hair. Goose bumps spread down my arms.

“I can smell his bonding on you, _female_ , but I can’t smell your acceptance of it. So you may have been with him for only three days as you claim, because you are _not_ his, as you haven’t accepted his bonding of you.”

What? What the Hell does that mean? I need to accept his bonding?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” I mumble while I shake my head and close my eyes. I exhale deep and feel a movement on the bed. I open my eyes in surprise when Chris warm hand grabs my wrist and the book falls out of my hand.

“What are you –“

Before I can finish my words, his head is right in front of mine. I can feel his warm breath against my lips. His other hand closes around my neck and he holds my head in position in front of his own.

“ _Arya...”_

His voice says my name with intensity and warmth, and it’s almost familiar but his huge size is scaring me.

“Don’t” I whisper as my body stiffen in fear of what he might do to me. The same thought I had in the car goes through me: is he really going to kiss me? He doesn’t though. He pulls back, lets me go and gets up from the bed.

Just before he leaves, Chris turns to me and casually says: “I have a feeling there’s more to your story with Dragan than what you’ve told me so far. But I will get the truth one way or the other.”

Shit. What does he know? _Does_ he know? No, he doesn’t. If he did, he wouldn’t be questioning me like that. He doesn’t know that Dragan has kidnapped me and held me against my will, that he raped me and forced me to leave my life behind. He doesn’t know that he actually kidnapped me from my kidnapper and a small part of me is grateful to him that he did, because now I don’t have to deal with Dragan and his weird feelings for me. But now I have to deal with Chris and whatever it is he wants from me, whatever the reason I’m here for. I let my body fall back on to the bed and close my eyes as I sigh heavily. What on earth have I been pulled into?

*

“Miss Malvern?”

I jerk upright in surprise and my eyes search around the room. The young lad from earlier is standing awkwardly in front of the door while he looks everywhere else but at me.

“Yeah, what?” I reply, not really sure if he’s asked me something that I haven’t heard because I was sleeping.

“He would like for you to join him for dinner” the lad says. I stare at him in bewilderment. There is only one _he_.

“He would?!” I exclaim in surprise. The lad nods, still not looking at me. Why on Earth would Chris want me to join him for dinner? I’m his prisoner, for fuck sake. Not his guest or something. He might be a beast, but I am most definitely not a beauty being held here out of free will to save my father and I am most definitely not interested in melting Chris’ cold heart, like Belle did to the beast. This isn’t a fairytale. This is real life. But do I even have a choice? What happens if I say no, if I simply refuse to follow the lad and stay here in the room? What would Chris do? What can he do to me? ‘ _Everythin_ g’ a voice in my head answers. He can do everything to me and he wouldn’t care, because I don’t matter to him. I’m just his dress-up doll; his prisoner he needs for... what? What does he even want with me? It clearly has something to do with Dragan, because he took me from him, but what is it he wants me for?

I stand up. Only one way to find out and I’m not getting any answers being locked in this room. If I accept the ‘offer’ of dinner with Chris, I might be able to get them without having to speculate myself insane.

“Alright, I’ll have dinner with him.”

The young lad nods and points to the closet.

“Please have a change of clothes, I will wait for you outside the room and escort you downstairs when you are ready.”

*

15 minutes later I follow the lad down the hallway. There’s doors on both sides every twelve feet or so. I’m wearing another one of the dresses that I just know Chris has chosen for me. This is a long-sleeved maxi dress in black, completely casual and designed for everyday use instead of the midnight blue dress that’s probably more suited for evening use. The lad leads me down two set of stairs. All the floors look the same, as does all the hallways. Shit. This mansion really _is_ like a fortress. And a maze. I soon lose my way in orientation. Maybe the lad is doing it on purpose, because he seems to be taking a really long detour to get us downstairs. Or maybe he’s not. After leading me down to a large entree hall, that’s decorated like an old castle from a horror movie, the lad tells me to stay put and I do. He stands himself against one of the walls while he looks down at his feet. Okay? What now? A door opens to the left and Chris enters the hall. Oh. _Damn_. He’s dressed in black slacks and a dark blue button down that fits his huge body nicely. He looks more like a gentleman than a beast, to be honest. Has he dressed up for _me_? I feel my cheeks burn hot and look down, but the position reminds me too much of the lad, so I level my eyes at Chris again. He smiles at me, wide and arrogant, while his eyes trail down my body and up to my face.

“You look lovely, Arya” he growls with eyes that sparkle. My cheeks burn hotter. Why is he staring at me like that? Why is he complimenting me? Can’t he go back to being the beast, for fuck sake?

I open my mouth to say thanks, but don’t get the chance, as a loud knock on the front door interrupts us. Chris grabs my upper arm in a hard grip and pulls me into the dining room without words. He closes the door almost completely, but we can still hear the front door being opened and the lad asks what the visitor wants. A moment later the lad knocks on the door to the dining room and Chris opens it just enough for the lad to see him, but not me.

“I’m sorry, sir, but it sounds important.”

Chris growls in reply and the lad hurries off, probably scared half to death.

“Wait here, female. Do _not_ leave this room. I’ll be back in a second.”

Chris stares at me seriously, as if he’s daring me to speak against him, to challenge him like I’ve done before, but something in his eyes keeps me quiet. I nod quickly in agreement. Chris holds my gaze for a moment, and then he nods to me before he leaves the dining room. He shuts the door completely and I can hear the faint mumbles of a conversation in the entree hall, but not the words. I stand awkwardly in the middle of the dining room for the longest time, before my impatience gets the best of me. Why the fuck did he ‘invite’ me to dinner, if he’s not going to dine with me? And he would be back in ‘a second’? Right. More like 20 minutes now. I wait another five minutes and then I put my ear to the door. I can’t hear anything, so either they’ve stopped talking or they’ve left the entree hall. I slowly open the door a bit and peak out. Yeah, they’re gone. I step out into the entree hall, just as the front door opens. I almost scream in surprise. Chris enters the room, and oh, he looks grim. His eyes find mine and holy shit; if looks could kill, I’d be ten feet under right now. I pull back a bit in pure terror. This is the beast I was looking for before. Right there. The real Chris Ozera. Behind Chris, three other males enter the mansion.

“Well, well, who’s this? Are you keeping a female hidden from us, Ozera? Or is she a gift for me?” one of the males say sleek, as his eyes roam over my body. Goose bumps spread across my arms and down my back, but not the good kind. Chris’ anger visibly vibrates in the air around him.

“She’s no one. And she was just leaving, weren’t you?” Chris growls as he looks at me with intimidation and threat in his words. I nod while I sink hard and start to take a few steps towards the staircase, but the male who spoke before speaks up again.

“Oh she doesn’t have to leave already. Get over here, female. I want to get to know you a little” the male says. I glance at Chris to ask him what to do and his ice cold stare makes me aware that I will _not_ be going over to that male.

“Don’t even think about it, Belaruz. She’s leaving. _Now_.”

The last word is directed at me and I nod again, while I turn to the staircase.

“Too bad. She looked like she could have been a lot of fun. Well, I guess we’ll have to find another way to celebrate our agreement, won’t we?” I hear the male say, as I hurry up the staircase. Belaruz? Like James Belaruz? Without the lad to guide me, I have absolutely no idea where I’m going. Right? Left? Seriously, which way? I pick right and almost run down the hallway to the large bedroom at the end. Thank you, Mother Nature, it’s the right one. I close the door behind me and lock it without even thinking about it. Luckily for me, the key was in the lock. Funny how things chance, isn’t it? Just a few hours ago I was locked in here against my will, wanting nothing more than to escape. And now I’m locked in here by choice, wanting nothing more than for the door to stay locked. I keep my eyes on the door, expecting someone to knock on it at any moment, but after a few minutes, I finally exhale in relief. I pull off the dress as I head for the bathroom to take a shower. Guess there’ll be no dinner now. My stomach complains a bit, but not much, so I don’t really care that much about missing out on dinner.

*

I’ve just pulled a towel around my still wet body, when I hear the door handle being grabbed and the door tried opened.

“ _Open the door, female_ ” a hard voice growls and I know that voice too well. I unlock the door in a fast movement and pull back into the bedroom when Chris’ huge body enters the room. Oh shit. He’s still mad. I sink hard as I feel Chris’ anger radiate towards me and those steel grey eyes hold mine. I cannot look away.

“I told you not to leave the dining room” Chris growls angry and my whole body shakes from fear.

“I know...” I whisper terrified as Chris slowly comes nearer.

“Do you ever do as you’re told?” he grows and it’s like his anger has become fury. I nod quickly.

“I do! I mean, I try, but you were gone for so long and I was –“

Chris steps in close to me and I stop talking. I don’t even know what I was going to say anyway. His hand grabs my neck and he pulls me in close by squeezing tightly around my soft neck, so hard, that I almost gasp for air. I grab the towel harder, desperate to keep it closed around my naked body.

“You try?” he spits at me and I nod eagerly. Then he snorts arrogantly.

“You should try harder. Or maybe you need to be punished in order to learn.”

Panic floats through me.

“No! Please don’t! I’m sorry, Chris! I really am! I’ll obey you, I promise!“ I beg with tears in my eyes. I almost fall to my knees, but I’m already looking up at him, so the effect would be lost. And his hand is still around my neck so I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Chris stares down at me intensely and arrogantly.

“Finally a proper reaction from you. I guess Dragan punished you severely for disobedience, since you’re so scared by the mere threat of it” he mumbles and takes a deep breath to calm himself. Those steel grey eyes hold mine in their power; I am simply not able to look away. Chris sighs as he straightens his back.

“I’m sorry” I whisper again, completely subjugated by Chris’ power. Chris has the full power over me and I accept it because I’m too scared to say anything against him right now. I might enjoy - or at the very least, not be able to control it - talking back to him to see his reaction, but this time it’s different. This time he is serious and I am scared as Hell. Dragan’s punishment was hard enough, I don’t even want to think about what Chris could do to me seeing as he’s so much more powerful than Dragan.

“Yeah you look like you are” he growls and lifts an arrogant eyebrow at me. Words fall from my mouth without me being able to control them.

“I _do_ try, I really do. I’ve done everything, well, _almost_ everything you’ve told me. I’ve accepted to have you dress me like a child and I’ve not tried to escape, even though I want to, and I even agreed to meet you for dinner tonight. It’s not my fault that you left me alone for half an hour when you said you’d only be a second. And it’s not like I tried to run away or anything, I simply left a room to go look for _you_ , that’s not exactly a mortal sin in my opinion. So I _am_ trying to obey you. I really am.”

Chris eyes hold mine as if he’s trying to determine if I’m telling the truth or if I am to be trusted for my words. Why do I have this strong need for him to believe my sincerity?

“Alright, female. Here’s how it’s going to be from now on; you will not be running around the mansion anymore. You will stay here. Everything you need will be brought to you, but not by me. No orders, no disobedience, _no punishment_. You will not see me again, until it’s time for me to use you.”

With those words, Chris lets me go and leaves the bedroom, locking the door behind him and talking the key with him. I sink down on the bed. Shit. What am I going to do now? I let the tears flow freely. It’s not like I have to be strong in front of Chris anymore. He wouldn’t care for my tears anyway. What did he mean by not seeing him until it is time for him to use me? Use me for what?


	10. Competent resource for captivity

Chris kept his promises. Both of them, actually. He had a whole box of books brought for me that same day and I’ve spend the last week being locked in this bedroom with nothing to do but read. And Chris hasn’t visited me once since that first day. The only one I see is the young lad who comes several times a day to bring me food or gather my dirty (well they’re not, but then worn) clothes or change my toiletries. I haven’t exactly spent the last seven days longing to be freed by Dragan, but I have a strong feeling that he is indeed coming for me at some point. It’s probably just a matter of time. But being here, even though I’m locked in a bedroom without any chance of getting out, is okay. No one is bothering me; no one is demanding anything of me. There are no crazy feelings or powerful males demanding me to be with them. The lad provides me with any essentials I may need, but I am well aware that I’m here on borrowed time. I can’t and won’t be allowed to stay here. It’s not like Chris wants to keep me as his house pet or his permanent dress-up doll. No, he needs me for some reason regarding Dragan and I’ll probably soon learn for what.

*

Today is no different from the other days. The lad comes in to gather my clothes from the bathroom, but something _is_ different; because he leaves the door to the hallway open instead of locking it like he always does. Maybe he forgot? I cast a quick glance down the hallway which seems empty and am about to make a run for it, when the kid comes back from the bathroom. He’s faster than I expected. He grabs for me just as I begin to move, but he only gets a hold on my dress and that doesn’t stop me. I lift my hand, make the best fist I can and pull my arm back. The hit is executed nicely and leaves a crushing sound at the impact to the poor lad’s nose. He immediately releases me, but I hear the dress rip as he does. I ignore it and begin to run. The hallway is longer than I remember. Shit. I haven’t been outside the bedroom since Chris put me in there after that first night, so I have absolutely no idea of how big this mansion really is. Where am I going? The hallway ends in another two hallways, one to each side. They look completely identical. Shit. Which way? How the Hell am I going to get out of this maze? I can’t remember which way the lad led me a week ago. Right, maybe?! I run to the right without knowing why, but to my luck, the hallway ends in a large staircase going down. Yes! I run down the stairs to another floor that looks too much like the one I just left. Shit, this maze is huge! How can I have forgotten that? When I get to the entree hall, I grab the handle on the front door. Shit. It’s locked. What now? Which way? Left was the dining room, right? Wasn’t there a large window? I grab the handle on the door to the left of me. Yes! It opens and I push the door in with a hard shove, while I run through it. Slam! I run headfirst into a concrete wall of a male’s chest. It’s like my legs continue forward and I feel my body fall backwards. Shit. This is going to hurt. I shut my eyes in anticipation, while I exhale a startled scream and prepares for the impact. It doesn’t happen. Strong, hard arms close around me and stop me from falling. Startled, I open my eyes. Chris! Shit!

“Out for a morning run?” Chris smiles while he helps me to stand. Annoyed and with adrenaline pumping through my blood, I jerk out of his iron grip. He lets me. I briefly look around the room. There are four other men – _males_ – in the dining room. They sit around the large table, all with their attention directed at me. A second later, the lad comes running into the room, gasping and in despair. His nose is clearly swollen and red, and the blood has run down his mouth and throat. I open my eyes wide and lift an eyebrow in shear pride over myself and my ability to clock someone. Nice hit! Chris briefly glances at the lad, his nose and then down at me. My smile fades. Shit. He’s going to be angry with me. He’s going to punish me. Shit! But angry is not what he’s showing. Chris’ lips pull up in a smile. What? Is he laughing at me? Like an adult laughing over a kid’s stupidity, knowing it will be wiser someday.

“She’s a wildcat, huh kid?” Chris smiles without taking his eyes off me. The lad’s face turn bright red and he mumbles something incomprehensible, while he looks down and folds his hands. He’s acting like a disobedient slave towards his master. Is that how it is? Pity over the poor lad pours through me.

“It’s not his fault that you don’t have a competent resource for your captivity of me. Besides, you said it yourself, I’m not stupid. If I want to find a way out, I will” I say with clear voice and I see the smile on Chris’ face fade a bit. Oh. What the Hell am I thinking? I’m talking back to the most powerful and dangerous man – _male_ , for fuck sake– I’ve ever met. A male who in physical size alone scares the shit out of me, but it’s so much more than that. It’s _him_. So much for being proud of myself for that fist. The four other males in the room stare at me in surprise and bewilderment.

“Oh, I will remember that from now on, _female_ ” Chris replies coldly and the chilliness in his voice sends goose bumps down my arms. Those steel grey eyes slide down my body and I feel my pulse increase. Is he seriously checking me out again?

“Your dress is torn” he mumbles disapprovingly and I follow his gaze down myself. I shrug casually.

“Like I care” I reply and look up at Chris. Oh he did _not_ like that comment. Why the fuck am I _still_ defying him? I should know better by now! His anger is visibly emerging from his huge body.

As if ordered by an unspoken command, the four males and the bloody-nosed lad leave the room. Maybe they too sensed Chris’ anger? Chris grabs my arm and drags me into another room, which turns out to be an office.

“But _I do_.” His voice is hard and dominating. “I told you I do not want you running around my home looking like that.”

“I haven’t been running around _anywhere_. You’ve had me locked in that room for days!” I exclaim as I try to take my arm back. He doesn’t let me. Chris takes a deep breath but his anger isn’t gone.

“Go up to the bedroom. Change your clothes to something not ripped. And then come back here. I am not done with you yet” he says hard and nods towards the door. “Go!”

I take a deep breath. It’s not like I have a choice. I have to do as he says. I slowly nod and leave the office without looking back. The door from the dining room to the hallway is not closed completely and I stop myself from opening it fully, when I overhear male voices talk about me. What?

“Why the fuck is she allowed to run around freely? She should be locked up in the cellar.”

“She’s not. He’s had her locked up in his own bedroom for the past week! But that kid is the only one keeping her in there so...”

“Look, I know she’s to be respected, being Dragan’s female and all, but seriously, what is the boss thinking?”

“Respected? Not a chance. Dragan is our enemy. If she’s with him, she’s the enemy too. Simple as that.”

“She’s pretty cute though. Maybe the boss wants to have some fun with her, teach Chozny a lesson before he returns her.”

“No way. He’s too moral for that. I’ve never seen him with any female and I’ve been working for him for almost a decade. Besides, if he just wanted to get laid, there are tons of females more than willing to be with him, just because of who he is.”

“Oh he has females alright. But it’s the ones I sneak out of the backdoor before dawn, if you know what I mean.”

“That couldn’t have been lately though, ‘cause I’ve seen him sleeping in the office since _she_ got here.”

“But he could be sneaking into his own bedroom while everyone sleeps, who knows? I would if it was me!”

They all chuckle loudly. I push open the door. Out in the hallway, three of the four males from before are waiting to come back into the office. They all stop their talking the second they see me. I hold my head high, as I walk past them and they step aside to let me pass between them.

Up in the bedroom – _Chris’ bedroom_ – the young lad is standing in the door opening, looking shameful and full of guilt. A stab of bad conscience runs through me.

“Hey, I really didn’t mean to...-” I start, but stop in the middle of the sentence when I look inside the bedroom. The lad is not alone. On the edge of the large bed sits one of the males from the dining room, the last one of the four who suddenly left. My defences are up, especially after overhearing the others talk about me like that.

“And you are?” I ask while folding my arms over my chest, pushing my chin up. The male smiles triumphantly.

“Competent resource for captivity” he replies with a wide smile and my heart sinks. Shit. I’m never getting out of here. I roll my eyes, while I stay put in the door opening and stare down at my new competent warden. I am so busy staring him down, that I don’t notice the heavy boots coming at me from behind. I almost jump in surprise, when a pair of large hands closes around my shoulders. The hands grabs my hair and gathers it down my back like a ponytail, where it’s being pulled back so I have to look up to see who’s holding it.

“Mmm are you being a strong fighter again?” Chris mumbles warmly, but the tone in his voice sends chills down my spine. He might mean it warm and jokingly, but all I can hear is the serious threat in the undertone. I try to shake my head, but Chris’ grip on my hair is too tight. He shoves me into the bedroom. The lad bows his head, while the male on the bed just stares at us in anticipation. Chris lets go of my hair and pushes me towards the bed. The male gets up and grabs both my arms. He forces them behind my back, and keeps them locked with one of his hands, while he turns me around and the other arm closes around my waist. I’m too scared to speak right now. The air in the room is charged with anticipation. Something is about to happen. Shit. What is it? Chris maintains eye contact with me as I stand locked in a steel grip without any possibility to escape.

“Do you remember what we agreed to the first time we met, Arya?” Chris asks seriously. I nod weakly. Shit. I _do_ remember. Even if it’s been a week, I remember everything. And I may have been spiteful before talking back to him and stuff, but this – me trying to run away, to actually escape – that’s disobedience. There’s no talking myself out of this one. Without hesitation, Chris pulls a gun from the waistband at his lower back and points it at the young lad. The sound of the gunshot is deafening and completely unexpected. I exclaim a surprised scream and try to pull away, but the grip around me is too strong. I feel warm tears form in my eyes, as I see the poor lad fall to his knees with one hand on his chest. He looks down as he removes the hand. Shit! Right in the heart. He lifts his eyes and looks directly at me. The look in his eyes is so sad, so apologetic, so innocent. Those eyes are going to hunt me for the rest of my life. The lad falls headfirst onto the floor and then his body becomes still. Is he really dead? I breathe heavily while the tears pour down my cheeks. Chris draws my attention. His free hand grabs my jaw and forces me to look up at him. I stare at him with wet and defeated eyes.

“If you had obeyed me like you were told, he would be alive now. You defied me by trying to run even though I warned you about the consequences. Even though you promised you’d obey me. His blood is on your hands” Chris mumbles and the guilt runs through me. For a moment, guilt is all I can feel. But something in Chris’ hard steel grey eyes makes me shake my head.

“No” I whisper insecure and Chris’ face lights up in surprise.

“No, what?”

I shake my head.

“This is _not_ my fault. None of this is my fault. I am simply caught in the middle of what seems to be a bloody war between two con-specifics. I don’t know what’s going on between Dragan and you, but you guys are so destructive that you’ll ruin everything for yourselves. And I will be the victim in the middle.”

I whisper the last sentence, almost to myself, because my emotions are overwhelming me. Chris stares at me in surprise.

“You...” he whispers and grab my neck instead. What is it with him and my neck? I stare up at him, unfazed. He takes a deep breath to keep himself calm.

“You see too much.”

He releases my neck, turns around and leaves the room, just as quickly as he entered it. I am left alone, confused and surprised, and still locked in my warden’s hard grip. As if he too is in chock over the last ten minutes.

“Hey competent resource?” I whisper to draw his attention while I twist my arms as a hint. He jerks in surprise, but releases me immediately. I exhale in relief and let my body sink down to sit on the bed.

“Bryan” he mumbles to me and I look up at him, “my name is Bryan.”

I nod understandably and let myself fall back on the bed. I shut my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. Can this get any worse now?

“Female.”

Bryan demands my attention and I open my eyes to look over at him, “weren’t you told to change clothes?”

I sigh heavily. Seriously? I get up from the bed. Bryan watches me intensely as I pick out another dress from the closet. I choose the long midnight blue dress from the first day I was here. I head for the bathroom without looking back and shut the door behind me. I glance at myself in the mirror and then down at the dark blue dress by the sink and finally down at the bag on the floor. Do I even have a choice?

*

An hour later, I step out of the bathroom again. Bryan is sitting on the bed and he lifts his head as I enter. His mouth drops open and he makes a move to speak, but as his eyes fall down my body, no words come out. His eyes get darker and a broad smile creeps over his lips. Discomfort fills my body. Bryan gets up from the bed, just as Chris’ huge shadow appears in the doorway. My discomfort over Bryan vanishes as soon as Chris enters the bedroom. I’m pretty sure Chris would never let Bryan as much as touch me. I am _his_ prisoner. Chris is wearing the same black t-shirt as the first day I saw him and those washed-down jeans. He radiates calmness, power and superiority. Shit. Why does he have to look so damn _good_? His grey eyes lock on mine and I have to look down.

“Leave us” Chris says hard and a second later, Bryan has left without a word. I notice my own breathing is fast and heavy, as I feel Chris’ eyes on me.

“Arya?” Chris asks and startled I look up. He is standing right in front of me, so close that I should have heard him move. His long fingers grab my jaw and force my head up. He steps closer into me and takes a deep breath. Is he really smelling my hair? I close my eyes. He is _so_ close.

“Mmm you smell good. Less human than ever... it suits you. As does _that_ colour” he mumbles looking down my body hidden underneath the midnight blue dress. Then he releases my jaw and steps back. I exhale and open my eyes.

“Come downstairs. I need to feed you.”

Chris turns away from me. He leaves the room without looking back, because he knows that I will follow – simply because I don’t have a choice.

In the dining room, the table is set for two. The food on the table smells amazing and my stomach roars in hunger. So this is what dinner with Chris looks like. Good to know. Chris pulls out a chair while he looks expectantly at me. Is he going to hold my chair as I sit? New style, perhaps? I take a deep breath and slowly lower my body onto the chair in Chris’ hands. His fingers brush over my bare back as he pushes the chair in and I jerk in surprise. I look up and see a wide smile on Chris’ face. Then he sits down in front of me, across the table. He pours himself a glass of wine and reaches out with the bottle to fill my glass, but I quickly place my hand on it. Chris’ eyebrow shoots up in surprise but I just shake my head. No way am I going to pour out my heart to this dangerous stranger who’s only using me to get to Dragan. No, my relationship to alcohol is a private matter.

“Eat, female” Chris commands hard and I reach for the food. Is he calling me female instead of woman just to piss me off?

“Where are we?” I ask stern, but calm, while I take another bite of the very delicious food in front of me. Chris stares at me for the longest time, those grey eyes intense and suspicious.

“Close to Manchester” he replies and I nearly choke on the food. Shit. _Manchester_. That’s very much north of Oxford, even further north than Birmingham where Dragan held me captured.

“What do you want with me?” I whisper, mostly to myself, but Chris’ eyes fixate on me.

“I need to control Dragan, keep him on my side, so to say. Since he’s bonded to you, I can control him by controlling you. He’ll do anything for you. Bonded males are dangerous, you know?”

I nod quietly. Yeah, I know. I recall the males’ conversation in the hallway earlier and can’t stop myself from asking, from _knowing_.

“Why are you being so... _nice_ to me?” I ask suspiciously and look over at Chris, “I am your captive and your enemy’s girl. You only have to me control him, like you say. So shouldn’t you keep me locked in a cellar or something instead of in your own bedroom?”

Chris’ lips pull up in a wry smile.

“Probably” he replies reflectively, “after all, you’ve disobeyed me several times already. But I don’t like to treat females badly. And you won’t do that again. You’ve seen the consequences of your disobedience, so I’m sure you’ll want to be good and obedient from now on.”

I sink hard. Shit. I’m going to have to do exactly that, aren’t I?

“I know the truth” Chris suddenly says and I jerk my head up in surprise.

“Huh?” is my brightest response. Chris smiles widely at me and I sink hard. What does he know now?

“The truth about what?”

That smile becomes radiant.

“You’re not Dragan's girl” he concludes in that matter-of-fact-tone of his. I sink again.

“You just said I was?”

“No, I said he’d bonded with you. Not that you were his. Are you going to deny it?”

“Yeah you’re wrong. I _am_ Dragan's” I snap hard, not wanting him to see the truth in my face. How’s that for denial? Chris smiles again.

“No, you’re not. You’re only with Dragan because he kidnapped you trying to control your Professor Howard. Apparently, that’s a very well-used tactic. Having you kidnapped, he probably fell in love with your innocence and obedience, which you suck at but _are_ capable of learning I might add. But you didn’t accept the bonding because he’s not your boyfriend; he’s your kidnapper. And why would you fall for your kidnapper? That bruise on your face speaks louder than your weak denials.”

I try to keep my face neutral but damn, it’s so hard. He’s right. Spot on right. How can I deny that? And why does it matter to me that Chris knows the truth? It’s not like he’s my knight in shining armour that’s saved me from the evil monster named Dragan. Chris’ eyes sparkle at me.

“I can see the truth in your face, Arya. So don’t even bother denying it anymore. You should thank me for rescuing you from your kidnapper. Because if I know Dragan right, he probably abused you more than what your face is showing. He probably raped you too.”

I gasp at his words. One thing is thinking them for myself but hearing them out loud? Yeah that’s not fun. I try to hide my vulnerability behind anger and sarcasm even though my eyes are filled with tears.

“Oh right. Thank you _so much_ for kidnapping me from my kidnapper. That was _so_ kind of you. Can I go now then? Since you’ve _rescued_ me from a horrible fate and all, I guess I’m free to leave and return to my old life now, right?”

My words are dripping with sarcasm and Chris’ eyes sparkle with annoyance. I ignore it and keep going.

“Oh I’m not? I’m now kidnapped by _you_? I’m not free at all? What a _surprise_.”

“You know, I’ve never had any female talk back to me the way you do. And I probably wouldn’t have liked it either. But you... you’re different. There’s something about you, because I _love_ how to talk back at me.”

I open my mouth to reply, but close it again. Because I have absolutely no idea what I am supposed to or even _can_ say to that.

We finish the rest of the meal in complete silence, but Chris’ eyes never leave my face. Not for one second during the whole dinner. I have just put my fork down on the table, when Chris abruptly stands up. He moves around the table, like a smooth panther in his movements despite his massive size. He stops next to me and reaches down to grab my wrist. He pulls me up from the chair in a quick move and grabs my other wrist too. The room is charged with electricity. Chris clearly has a plan now, but what is it? I feel my pulse rise and my breathing get heavy, while fear is pounding in my blood. Shit. What now?


	11. Voluntarily raped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: rape, forced sex.

Chris’s steel grey eyes burn into mine; I am simply not able to look away.

“Arya...” he whispers warmly and pulls me close into him, while those huge arms close around my body, still with a firm grip on my wrists. My hands are being gathered behind my back and he holds them there with just one of his. The other one slowly slides up my arm.

“Mmm I can smell your fear. It’s intoxicating... and attractive.”

He tightens his grip on me and I feel myself being pressed harder and closer into that big body.

“No...” I whisper full of fear, as Chris lowers his head towards mine. He stops mid movement and looks astonished at me.

“You can’t say no, Arya. You know what will happen if you don’t obey. You know the consequences” Chris replies and lowers his head further down towards mine, so close, that I can feel his warm breath against my lips.

“No.”

The word is louder than before and I pull my head back, away from Chris. His arms release me in a quick move, before his hand closes around my neck and I am being pushed back until I hit the wall. Déjà-vu. Chris’ anger sparkles in the air around me. Anger directed at me. A hard knock on the door makes me jerk in surprise and saves me from whatever anger-outburst from Chris that was about to happen.

“What!” Chris snarls without taking his eyes away from me and Bryan enters the living room.

“He’s here” Bryan announces seriously and something shifts in Chris’ eyes. They become confident and triumphant. A smile shows on his lips.

“Good. Send him in” he mumbles, still without taking his eyes off me. I open my mouth, desperate to talk him down or at the very least get him to stop whatever it is he wants to do to me now.

“Now _you’re_ going to abuse and rape me? So much for a being my saviour, huh?” I choke out, my eyes full of tears and my heart pumping hard in fear. Chris stares hard at me.

“I’ve never raped a female and I never will.”

I can’t help myself; I laugh. It’s a hysterical laugh that’s full of fear and tears, but it’s still a laugh.

“Yeah? So what exactly is it you’re about to do to me now?”

Bryan comes back before Chris can reply, but he’s not alone. I turn my head as much as Chris’ hand allows and feel my heart skip a beat, when I see who Bryan has brought in with him.

“No...” I exhale the word without a sound. Al the air has left me. No. This cannot happen. What is Martin doing here?

“Yes, Arya” Chris replies and pulls me out from the wall before letting go of me. My eyes get wet.

“Why?” I demand weakly and stare helplessly up at Chris.

“Because you don’t obey me and this is the next consequence” he replies hard. I close my eyes as the first warm tears take form. I shake my head in disbelief. So this is what he meant when he said I wouldn’t disobey him again. He was right. I take a deep breath.

“I will” I whisper defeated. Chris grabs my jaw, forces my head up to meet his eyes.

“You will what, Arya?” he asks expectantly and I sink while I take another breath.

“I will obey you” I answer calmly, while I keep my eyes on his. I wish that I could hide my vulnerability from Chris, but the defeat is so easily shown in my eyes. Triumphantly Chris smiles down at me. His hand releases my jaw and he nods toward the door.

“You know where to go” he says expectantly and I nod heavily, while I begin to move. I look at Martin for only a second as I pass him, but I cannot read the emotions in his eyes. Pity? Sorrow? Knowledge? No matter what it is, it doesn’t mean anything now. I don’t have a choice; I must obey Chris or watch Martin get hurt. And I just can’t live with that. I’m already responsible for two deaths. I can’t live with more dying because of me. And Chris knows that. That’s why he’s brought him here, isn’t it? Because he knows that this is the one consequence I can’t live with.

I walk up the stairs towards the bedroom – _Chris’ bedroom_ – without looking back, because I don’t have to. I know that Chris is right behind me. I can feel him behind me. The warmth from his body emit at by back. I know what he’ll do to me when we get to the bedroom. And the thought scares the shit out of me.

My fear is intensified when I hear the bedroom door close behind me. I feel Chris’ presence but don’t turn around. Even knowing he’s there, I still gasp in surprise when his large hands close around my hips. I shut my eyes hard. This just needs to be over fast. Think of something nice instead. I need to focus on the feeling of being touched – and not think about _who’s_ touching me. Because the mere thought of this powerful Chris Ozera scares the shit out of me.

Chris’ hands slide up my waist, up along my back and lay on my shoulders. Goose bumps spread across my skin and chills run down my spine. Chris carefully grabs the straps of the dress and pushes them away from my shoulders, down my arms, before he lets the whole dress fall to the floor. It lands in a pile around my feet.

“Step out” he growls behind me and I take a step forward. The dress vanishes from behind my feet and a second later Chris’ hands are back on my shoulders. They slide forward and lay heavily on my breasts, still hidden behind the bra. I gasp for air, fear pounding through me.

“You’re shaking, _female_ ” Chris mumbles before his burning lips touch one of my shoulders. I can feel another wave of goose bumps spread down my spine.

“You’re afraid of me.”

It’s not a question. I nod weakly, while more tears fall from my eyes. Chris’ hands lets go of my breasts before sliding down to fill out the skin on my lower abdomen. He presses me backwards against his own hard body. His chest is warm and naked. When did he lose the shirt?

“Chris” I whisper terrified, “what are you going to do to me?”

As terrified as I am of _him_ , my body doesn’t hate the feeling of his hands on my skin. My body hums under his hands. I’ve never felt anything like this before. Before Dragan I had only been with Martin and even being was Dragan was never completely out of my own free will. Neither is this. But my body still responds to it. This feeling of desire and lust is so overwhelming and to feel it towards a complete stranger scares the shit out of me. It's an odd mix; fear and excitement.

“Mmm” he growls deeply, while bending the knees to press his pelvis against my ass. I grab his arms in shear reflex, a desperate try to pry them from my body. As if I could. The only thing that happens is nothing. I can’t even move then an inch. Shit. He’s really going to do this.

“Tell me you don’t want me” he growls into my neck, while his hands press me harder in against his pelvis. Oh shit. He’s so hard already.

“Tell me no. Fight me. _Stop me_. Tell me to go to Hell and take the consequence instead.”

I sink hard. I can’t. I can’t let Martin get hurt because of me. He doesn’t deserve that. He doesn’t deserve any of this. I shake my head.

“I’m not going to say any of that” I snap hard but defeated and feel the satisfaction radiate from Chris’ body. Chris bites the thin skin on my neck and I whine weakly both from surprise and pain. My hands automatically grab his harder and without thinking I desperately try to pry him off me again.

“So you’re not saying no, ergo it’s not rape. And I can feel your body responding to mine. Your body wants me, Arya. Let you head feel it too. Or do I need to restrain you?” Chris whispers into my hair. I dig my nails into the skin on his arms, while thinking about it. My eyes get wet. Again. I nod weakly. Yes. Yes, he needs to restrain me. There is no way for me to get through this with my hands free. The fear is terrifying enough by itself, but this overwhelming feeling of desire towards a powerful male like Chris terrifies me even more. So I will fight him even if I don’t want to. Even if my head tells me not to. And I can’t do that. It could cost Martin his life. I cannot allow that. I nod again.

“Yes” I whisper broken and Chris releases me. I turn around; force my body to stay still instead of run as my eyes follow his movements. Under different circumstances I would have enjoyed the sight of his huge, half-naked and tattooed body, but I can’t really appreciate it right now. The fear is overwhelming. In a drawer in the desk, Chris picks up something black and something silver, but I can’t see what it is. The fear is pounding so hard in my blood, it’s deafening and my whole body is shaking. Chris slowly moves towards me. The closer he gets, the more I pull away. It’s an instinctual fight or flight-reaction towards a predator approaching and I’m not even aware of moving until my back hits the wall behind me. Shit. Chris smiles broadly.

“Nowhere to run, _female_. But you don’t want to run. You want to _obey me_. Isn’t that right?”

Chris steps in closer and I see the black cloth in his hands. As well as the two pairs of handcuffs. I nod terrified, not even wanting to object to his use of the word ‘female’ right now. Without warning, Chris grabs my neck, pulls me out from the wall and shoves me to towards the bed. I land softly on my back and Chris sits on top on my hips. He look humongous, sitting there on top of me as his warm body holds me down.

“First...” he mumbles and holds the black cloth up in front of me. I lift my head as I let him tie the scarf around my head. Everything is dark now. Shit. Chris lifts his weight off me and I sit up in the bed. To what? Run?

“Oh no, Arya, you’re not going anywhere” Chris demands hard as he grabs my hands. That cold steel closes around my wrist and he roughly pulls my hand up above my head. And fasten the other end of the handcuff to the bed frame. My body begins to struggle. I’m not even controlling it myself as I desperately try to push Chris off me in a naive and futile last hope to escape. Because a second later my other hand is restrained in the same way and it’s too late to escape. Not that escape has ever been an option. Shit. I am now blindfolded, handcuffed and only wearing my underwear. The fear takes a hold on me and I gasp for air. Chris’ hands roughly grab my breasts, while his warm lips leave a wet trail over my collarbone.

“Now you are... completely in my power... I can do... exactly what... I want... to you... _female_...” he whispers between his kisses. Shit. Him calling me female might usually piss me off, but right now it’s _so_ hot. His voice is deep and masculine and it ignites heat inside my body. I move to try to escape his touch and the inevitable I know is about to happen even if I don’t want to escape. Because he will rape me. Fuck me. Take me. It’s the same no matter what we call it and he’ll do it to me. And if I am completely honest? I want him to. Every touch ignites a fire inside of me, a fire that Dragan never even came close to lighting, a fire that Martin has never discovered and I want to moan at every touch, but my pride keeps my mouth shut. Dragan might have made my body orgasm, but he never blew my mind with lust or desire or hunger. Chris on the other hand... It’s like I’m melting under his touch. Chris’ hands roughly handle my breasts and he groans deeply, as he places his huge body between my legs. I can feel how hard he is, when he presses his pelvis hardly up against my panties.

“You _feel_ so good” Chris mumbles into my neck, as his hands pulls down the cups of my bra and releases my breasts from their captivity. He lips close around one of my nipples and he bites it hard. I scream loudly and try to move again, but it’s futile. I am tied up. Restrained. Just as I asked to be. Chris’ one hand slides down my side and lays hard against my panties. He rubs me gently and I twist my body under his hard hands.

I gasp in surprise when Chris roughly grabs my breasts. His hands are warm. He massages them firmly, not painfully but sensually. I feel my body start to wake up, slowly, like from a deep sleep. This feels so... _right_. Chris’ hands and mouth slide down my belly and they leave a wet trail over my skin as they slide down under my panties again. He pulls them off in a fluent movement. His hands spread my legs and without any sort of warning, Chris puts his tongue against my clitoris.

“Shit! NO!” I scream in surprise.

“Oh yes, female, I need to taste you” Chris’ growls against me as his wet tongue carefully licks my most sensitive spot. A deep dark spice fills the room, but I’m too distracted by the sweet torture to notice. I twist my body as much as his hands allow me and I feel how my insides are set on fire. My body is roaring under his lips and I am warm all over when Chris grabs my hips and turns me around. My arms twist so they are crossed over and locked even more than before. Those warm hands grab my butt cheeks and they get the same treatment as my breasts did just moments ago. My skin burns from his rough hands.

“Chris?” I whisper nervously, but he doesn’t reply. Then his hands release my ass and I scream loudly in surprise as a hard slap lands on my right butt cheek. Then Chris resumes his massaging rhythm, followed by another slap that makes me jerk in pain. Shit. He repeats the process more times that I can count and both my butt cheeks now burn red and sore. This is spanking, I realise. Not punishment like Dragan did. And spanking... yeah, my body definitely likes that. Chris’ hands slide down between them and I feel his two thumbs massage closer to my asshole. Shit. Not again. No, no, no! Some sweet-smelling oil is being poured over my ass and one thick finger is now massages directly against my hole. I twist my hips, trying to move, but Chris isn’t letting me escape. There is no escape. He presses the tip of his thumb into my sensitive asshole and I scream into the bed sheet, while I mumble weak prayers I know won’t be answered. This is just not happening again. Chris presses his whole finger into my ass and I see black spots of pain. His other hand grabs my hip and lifts my ass up, so I’m on my knees with my ass up in the air. He sighs heavily and I sense his smug smile behind me.

“This is an amazing view, Arya. I almost envy Dragan for being allowed to look at your magnificent ass for three full days. But not today. Today this is _my_ view. Today, your ass belongs to _me_. Is that clear?” Chris growls behind me and presses his finger deeper into my ass. Dragan who? My head can’t even process thinking about him right now. All I can think about is Chris’ thick finger deep in my ass. I move forward, but am quickly being pulled back with a hard jerk. Chris’ other hand leaves my hip and I feel the pressure against my asshole increase, as Chris attempts to press his other thumb into my ass too. It slides in and I scream down into the bed.

“Fuck, yes... I can’t wait to feel your ass, Arya” Chris mumbles and pushes his fingers outwards as if to stretch my asshole. And that’s exactly what he is doing. My body is conflicted on its own feelings; it wants Chris but it doesn’t want anal sex. Chris pulls both of his fingers out my ass and relief pours over me as I feel the pressure lift from the bed. Then I hear another drawer open and Chris is back. Shit. What is he up to now?

“But first... I want to play with you” he mumbles and grabs my hips to pull me back further. What? _Play_? My arms are stretched as much as possible, my breasts pushed down into the bed and my ass up for Chris to do whatever he wants to. This is the most humiliating situation I have ever been in. Helpless, powerless and completely exposed. Not even Dragan’s first rape of came close to this. But I am so ready for anything. Why is this so different, just because it’s Chris? A long finger slides into my ass and then out again. I moan in pain. The something cold and hard tries to press its way into my ass and I move forward in the bed. What the Hell is that?

“Oh!” I yell in surprise as a hard slap strikes over my butt cheeks.

“Arch that back for me, _female_ ” Chris mumbles behind me and I have no choice as he pulls my ass back against him. Again I feel that cold object press against my asshole. Is that metal? Glass? What is it! Slowly it slides into my ass and I moan from the pain. It slides in further, well helped by the oil and Chris’ skilled fingers that’s already expanded my ass a bit. Then I feel the object slide into my ass, like a ball in a hole and the object feels strange and foreign in my ass, as it’s being held in by my muscles. And held in place by the small end of it, so it cannot slide further into my ass. And I know what it is; a butt plug. Chris has just pushed a butt plug into my ass! His hands massage my butt cheeks hard and I feel the cold butt plug move heavily inside my ass as he’s massaging it. Chris presses two long fingers into my heat. I moan deeply over the sudden fulfilment. He moves them slowly, while his other hand grabs the end of the butt plug and slowly pulls it out as if to stretch my muscles. I scream into the bed. Chris pushes the butt plug into my ass again and he continues to play with me like this for a while, both with his fingers and the now warm, familiar object in my ass. And to my great surprise... it’s not painful. It’s not the horrible rape I had thought would happen. Chris has the absolute power over me and he’s using it to play with me? To lick me and tease me? No matter how much I would love to deny it, I can’t. I am _so_ turned on. His treatment of me is making me so wet, that it almost runs down my thighs. It is so forbidden and I am helpless in such a damned naughty way. Not that I would ever admit it to him. Verbally at least, because my body is betraying me at this very moment. I can’t deny how my body reacts and I can’t hide it from Chris; I get turned on by dominating males. I liked the last session of sex with Dragan because he’s so damned dominating. Chris is different. Raw. Hot. Powerful. Dominating as Hell too – no doubt about that! But he has no emotions to get in the way. No fear of hurting me. Pure selfishness. And a very small and secret part of me likes to be used for his pleasure.

Chris pulls his fingers out of me and pushes the butt plug into me. Then the pressure lifts from the bed and all my thoughts stop. Shit. What is he up to now? I hear another drawer – or is it the same one? – being opened and sink deeply. The bed moves and Chris is back.

“Are you ready for me?” he mumbles and every muscle in my body tenses in anticipation. Those warm hands grab my hips and I can feel the tip of his erection slide past my lips.

“You are _so_ wet for me...” Chris whispers as he pushes himself into me. I moan involuntarily. I sense everything around me; the heavy butt plug in my ass, Chris’ warm hands on my hips, his hard erection that’s pushed into me, the soft bed under my cheek, those sharp handcuffs on my wrists, the sound of voices somewhere in the mansion, Chris’ fast breathing. I even feel his struggle to control himself. Slowly he enters me fully and my legs shake from the sensation of being filled in both my holes. Very slowly Chris starts to move inside of me, a bit out and slowly in again. It’s like the sweetest torture. My whole body aches. I am so horny, so ready to receive him but he is taking his goddamned time. Slowly into me. And slowly out again, all the way out so only the tip of his cock is still inside of me. He repeats it so many times that I eventually start to push my ass backwards to meet his trusts.

“Be still...” he mumbles concentrated, but I can’t. I am so ready, so horny, so wet. Come on... I press my ass back to get him harder inside me. I can hear him chuckle behind me.

“Are you impatient, _female_?” he laughs, while I exhale frustrated.

“Come on... please...” I whisper pathetic into the dark bed sheet. But Chris just keeps up his slow torture between my legs. The butt plug feels warm and heavy in my ass, and every time Chris pushes himself all the way into me, I can feel the butt plug being pushed harder into me as well. It moves out a bit when Chris withdraws from me. Damn. It’s the sweetest torture of my sensitive muscles.

“Chris...” I whisper hoarsely. Chris leans in over me while he pushes himself all the way into me. Shit... I moan loudly. He fits me perfectly.

“I want to hear you beg for it, _Arya_. Scream at me. Beg me to take you harder” Chris mumbles into my ear and I sink hard. Shit. Why can’t he just do it? Why do I have to be humiliated and beg for it? Chris continues his very slow movements, while my whole inside is in flames. I am so ready, so turned on. My abdomen is buzzing from heat and pleasure.

“Dammit Chris...” I whisper and he leans in over me again.

“What was that, _female_?” Chris asks patiently. One of his hands grabs my breast as his fingers squeeze my nipple hard. A jolt of pleasure goes through my entire body. I curse inside and swallow my pride.

“Please... I am so wet... Please take me. I want you to fuck me. Please, Chris, I am so ready for you, _please_?” I beg helplessly, while I move my hips to feel him better. Chris puts his nose down to my hair and takes a deep breath.

“ _Mine_ ” he mumbles, while he straightens and starts to move faster. I don’t even hear the word because my whole body starts to shake, while Chris hammers into me from behind. I try to push my ass backwards to meet his hard trusts, but Chris has a firm grip on my hips as he tries to hold me still.

“Shit, Arya!” he exclaims in surprise and I can feel his hard cock pump inside me as it empties its warm juices deep within me. Chris breathes heavily. Slowly his now half-soft cock slides out of me and my abdomen vibrates from heat. I haven’t orgasm’ed yet, but I am so close that my whole body shakes of unreleased desire.

“We’re not quite done yet... I want to see you squirt” Chris growls hard and pushes two fingers into me from behind. I scream in surprise. Squirt? I can’t squirt! I am about to object, when another sound catches my attention. It’s a buzzing sound that makes chills run down my spine.

“OH!” The buzzing sound – which turns out to be a vibrator – is pressed hard against my clitoris. I scream loudly. My ass is filled. My vagina is filled. My clitoris is taking the best kind of torture. My body reacts to that hard treatment. Yes! My muscles start to contract and I can hear Chris sigh satisfied behind me.

“Press when you cum” he orders me and I obey because at that second I feel the heat reach it apex and erupt. I press when Chris with quick moves pulls his fingers from my wet heat and he was so right; I squirt. And I squirt a lot. I scream loudly into the bed sheet. Wetness runs down my thighs as the last shakes goes through my body. Chris turns off the vibrator. Then he grabs the end of the butt plug and gently pulls it from my sore asshole. I collapse on the bed, completely exhausted and drained of all energy and everything else too. Chris moves in the bed. Warm hands grab my head and the blindfold disappears before the sharp handcuffs are being unlocked. My wrists ache from where the hard steel has cut into my skin during all those futile attempts to escape my captivity. Chris grabs me and turns me around. I open my eyes just enough to be able to see his face. And Mother Nature help me, he is smiling. A wide and confident and triumphant smile. Those steel grey eyes sparkle with pride, ownership and superiority. He is so damned gorgeous to look at. A heavy duvet is pulled over my very tired body and I feel the sleep take me over like fog on a cold summer morning. Everything becomes black.

*

I’m groggy when I wake up. Through the crack in the heavy curtains, I can see that the sky is dark. I stretch my tired body. Ouch. The pain in my muscles is overwhelming. And then reality hits me. Dragan. Rape. Sex. Chris. Sex. Shit. My stomach twists and an uncontrollable nausea hit me. I run to the bathroom and have barely gone down on my knees to bend over the toilet, when the content of my stomach finds its way out the same way it came in. Yuck.

“Arya?”

Chris’ dark voice asks from the bedroom, but I am in no way able to answer anything right now. Another wave of nausea hits my stomach and I bend over the toilet again.

“Arya?”

The light in the bathroom is turned on and Chris’ large body appears in the doorway. I blink a few times to adjust my eyes to the sudden light. Chris is only wearing boxer shorts and his broad upper body fills the doorway completely. Wow. The sight of him near fully naked is almost enough to make me forget all about the nausea. Chris is big and hard, his body is covered in dark tattoos that twists down both arms and fills out one whole side of his upper body and stomach. The other side is completely bare and that smooth, warm skin almost makes we want to tear my nails over it. Actually, it’s not completely bare. There are soft, light stripes over the smooth skin. Scars. His chest is pierced by a penetrating scar that runs from his collarbone down to his nipple. It starts up again just under the nipple and cuts all the way down his stomach to the edge of his boxer shorts. What happened to him? The sound of his voice makes me focus on his face again.

“Are you okay?”

I shake my head in resignation and lean back against the cold cabinet under the sink.

“No” I hiss quietly. Chris’ eyebrows pull together while he stares intensely at me.

“Hm” he growls wondering and bends down to put his arms around me, “back to bed with you.”

I let him carry me back to the bed. I am too nauseated to object. And his warm body feels like the softest duvet. I let myself sink into his warmth and lay my head on his hard shoulder. Maybe it was something I ate last night at the dinner? Chris puts us both down on the bed and pulls the duvet over me again. I sigh deeply and shut my eyes, only to fall asleep the second I exhale.


	12. Dragan vs. Chris

The sun’s early morning rays illuminate the bedroom when I open my eyes this time. I closely examine my stomach to see if it’s still out of order, but everything seems to be back to normal. Huh. Actually, I’m hungry. Damn, I’m so hungry right now. I look around. I’m alone in the bed. I kick the duvet off and plant my feet on the ground while I look for some clothes. A new dress, this one black and dark green, is hanging on the back of the chair as are my underwear and a black cardigan. The dark green fabric is the exact same colour as my eyes. Of course it matches. I would not have expected any less of Chris. I roll my eyes while I grab the dress. I keep expecting the kid to come in at any moment, but he isn’t coming anymore. Never. I sink and feel tears form in my eyes. I slowly try to open the door and to my huge surprise, it’s not locked.

A few minutes later I’m almost running down the stairs in my haste to find some food, when I meet an elderly woman coming up the stairs. I smile weakly while I look down as I pass her, but just as I’m about to keep going, she grabs my arm without warning. I’m about to object, when she starts mumbling something incomprehensible in the same language that Dragan and James have been speaking. Her wrinkly, milky grey eyes become large while he stares indifferent at me and I feel an unease spread over my skin as she continues to stare at me. I try to pull my wrist back, but she’s stronger than she looks. I grab her hand with my free hand to get her to let go, just as Chris comes sneaking up the stairs. The old woman gives him a look of disgust, while she mumbles something that makes Chris’ eyes widen in surprise. Then he levels his eyes at me and a triumphant smile spreads across his entire face. The woman lets me go and continues up the stairs as if nothing has happened.

“Arya” Chris smiles widely and I look down to avoid his intense stare. Why does he have to be so damn attractive to look at? Images of last night play in my head and I feel my body sway towards him.

“Did you want something?”

His voice is expectant and curious. Arrogant. Confident. Shit. I have to look up. I lift my eyes. That arrogant smile has only gotten wider in the last few seconds. As if he knows _exactly_ what I’m thinking about last night.

“I’m hungry” I reply flat without taking my eyes off him.

“The kid hasn’t brought me any food, _obviously_.”

That smile turns radiant and my only thought right now is to remove that arrogant and triumphant smile from his lips by forcing him up against the wall and putting my hands around his neck. Wow. Where did that sudden anger come from? Weren’t I scared shitless of him because he’s the most powerful male I’ve ever met who promises me punishment and consequences? Chris grabs my wrist hard and takes me down the stairs, down to a kitchen where he makes a sandwich for me in no time, but I eat it almost as fast as he has made it.

“More?” he asks smilingly and I nod slowly. He turns around to make me more food and I can’t stop myself.

“I still don’t understand why you’re being so nice to me” I start, looking at Chris’ back while I speak.

“You think I’m _nice_ to you?” he replies arrogantly and I can just imagine how his eyebrow is raised as he speaks. Arrogant twat.

“You know you are. Don’t talk to me like I’m stupid. You’re _too_ nice to me. You could’ve done everything to me last night – horrible things if you wanted, because you had me tied up and everything, but you didn’t. Instead you fucked me like you wanted me to like it. Like you...”

I breathe deeply, searching for words.

“... _care_. And I know you don’t. I’m your prisoner; you only keep me here to control Dragan; that’s what you told me yourself. So why are you suddenly giving me orgasms and making me food?”

Chris turns towards me with another sandwich. He puts the plate down in front of me, before he leans in over me and I have to lean back in the chair.

“Why are you complaining? It almost sounds like you _want_ me to do horrible things to you? Maybe you liked it when Dragan abused and raped you? Is that it?”

How dare he? The anger flares up in me again. I get up and pull my arm back, closing my best fist. I aim it at his face in a fast move. Ha! As if I ever had a chance. Chris is too damn fast. His hand closes around my fist like if it was a child’s and he forces my arm down my side. His other hand grabs my still free hand and both my arms are now forced behind my back. The position leaves me pressed tightly up against Chris with my hands held behind my back. His body is hard and tense, but there is no anger in his face. On the contrary. He seems to be enjoying himself. Which has the same effect on my anger as gasoline would have on a bonfire.

“Do _not_ touch me” I hiss like an angry kitten and try to twist my arms free. The anger is all-consuming and the only thing I can think of. Chris replies by tightening the grip on my hands so I am locked even more by his arms.

“I’ll take that as a no, then” he growls, looking down at me with that arrogant look in his eyes.

“Let me go!” I scream high-pitched up in his face and for a brief second I think I’m finally getting my way. Chris releases his hold on me and I feel the pressure leave my body. Until he turns me around with a speed that shouldn’t have surprised me. His hands grab my waist hard and lie flat on the bottom of my stomach as he presses my ass back against his pelvis.

“Oh that uncontrollable female-anger” he growls behind me and I grab his hands to try to move them away from my body. Not happening. Chris pulls me harder in against him and buries his face in my hair. He breathes heavily while he presses his hard cock in against my ass. The anger extinguishes just as fast as it flared as another kind of heat flares up inside me and I am surprised by the feeling of lust. My body is on fire.

“That anger just turned into something else, didn’t it? You no longer hate me; you want me to take you again. Your stomach is tight, you feel empty inside... You long for it with a force you didn’t even know existed. The only thing you want is to be taken hard and brutally. Like _I_ took you last night... Do you remember that, _female_? Yes, you do. You remember how it felt to be surrounded by _my_ strength, to be dominated by _me_. Your skin is on fire and that is the only relief for it. The only thing that can ease your longing. The feeling of _my_ strong hands on your soft breasts, my hand around your lovely neck, my warm lips against yours... my cock buried deep inside you. My tongue against your warm and wet lips... It’s like you can’t think of anything else...”

Chris’ words are like hypnosis and so damn true. Because he is right. I remember everything, every little detail and dammit, I want it so much. I crave _him_. So much that the desire surprises even myself.

“How do you...” I whisper as I shut my eyes hard. My hands are still on his and he starts to move them across my stomach leaving goose bumps all over my skin. I can feel his warm breath on the back of my neck.

“Besides your scent telling me everything you feel, I once had a female in the same situation as you are in now. She told me how her body reacted” Chris replies seriously.

“What situation?” I mumble confused with my eyes closed, while Chris’ hands feel like fire against the bottom of my belly.

I scream in surprise as the door to the kitchen suddenly opens and Chris’ strong arms surround me. He tightens his grip. Either to hold me in place or to protect me. I don’t know. I don’t care. Being here in his huge warm arms with his hard cock throbbing against my ass and the dark scent of his lust hanging in the air around me is quite possibly the most erotic thing I have ever experienced.

“Yes, Anton?” Chris asks annoyed and Anton takes a deep breath while his eyes focus on me. I see his serious face through a fog of lust. He’s one of the males from yesterday. Shit. What is it?

“He’s here” Anton replies. For a brief second the kitchen is completely quiet. Then Chris tightens his arms around me so much, that I struggle to breathe. And he growls. Like seriously growls. Like a lion backed into a corner. Who’s here?

“Already” Chris mumbles into my hair while he takes a deep breath and groans unsatisfied but so low that only I can hear: “I am not done with you yet.”

“Who?” I whisper absently. The only thing I can think about is Chris’ strong arms around my body and his warm breath against my neck. My abdomen tightens. My breathing becomes fast and shallow. I can feel the warmth spread in my body. _He_ is everywhere around me.

“I’ve shown him into the office” Anton mumbles quickly and leaves the kitchen again.

“ _Arya_ ” Chris whispers and the sound of my name on his lips makes my blood boil, my knees buckle and I almost orgasm right here in his arms.

“I can feel your need, your longing... Let me ease it before you burst into flames.”

It’s not a question. And even if it was, I have no resistance in me, no intention of saying no to him in this very moment when my body screams for his touch. One arm lets me go, but I am still unable to move from the strength in the other one still locked around me. Chris’ hand slides down between my legs and he pulls the dress up in two quick pulls. Those skilled fingers slide under my panties without any effort and up into my heat. I moan deeply and surprised, while I dig my nails into the skin on Chris’ arm around me. I lean my head back against his hard chest as I surrender to his power. My body gets warm in seconds. This is not going to take long...

“Chris...” I whisper as the heat spreads in my body, but a very small part of me is too aware of the fact that we’re standing in the kitchen and anyone could potentially walk in on us.

“Not here...”

“Don’t worry, _female_ , no one will see. I’d never let anyone see you like this but _me_ ” Chris growls into my hair as he tightens his grip around me and push his fingers deeper into me. Dammit. I believe him. He won’t let anyone see me in this intimate situation. This moment is too private. I surrender to him.

“ _Arya_.”

His fingers slide in and out of me in seducing movements. I am so wet that it slowly runs down my bare legs. His thumb is pressed hard against my clitoris. Nope, not long at all. I burst into flames. I moan loudly as I feel the fire spread throughout my body. My knees buckle but Chris’ arm holds me up. Just as fast as the fire flared, it’s gone and I put my faith in my legs to carry me. Chris pulls out his fingers and puts them into his own mouth.

“Mmm you are delicious, Arya” he mumbles as he licks me off his large fingers. I sink troubled. That is so hot and my body heats up again. Dammit, I just came. How can I still be horny?

“Chris, this isn’t-“ I start while blushing, but Chris interrupts me as if I haven’t said anything.

“Alright, let’s get this over with” Chris grunts annoyed and the reality wins over my lust. And I suddenly realise who’s here; Dragan! He is just next door. So close. And I just let Chris... What am I doing? Chris grabs my arm and pulls me out of the kitchen, down the entree hall and into the large dining room. The room is packed. I see the old woman from earlier sitting at the large table. Her grey eyes fixate on me and an arrogant and hateful expression lights up her face. What did I ever do to her? Chris pulls me through the room without hesitation or words, and through the door at the end, into the office, where he practically throws me into the room so I almost trip over my own feet.

“Arya?” someone mumbles surprised and I straighten while I lift my gaze. My body freezes. My breathing stops. My eyes get wet. A part of me wants to turn around and run back into Chris’ huge arms, to have him protect me from the male in front of me, but I have to right to want that. Chris isn’t my saviour. He’s not the male of my dreams. But the male in front of me is my nightmare; Dragan is standing barely 6 feet in front of me in the large room, staring at me in surprise. The surprise in his eyes is quickly replaced by determination.

“Get over here” he grunts and my body starts to move out of sheer obedience. Standing right here in front of Dragan, the old reaction of obeying him starts to stir and I start to move to his calling. I see Dragan’s lips form a smile.

“ _Stop_.”

The word is hard and powerful. My body obeys the very second it’s spoken. Shit. Dragan’s eyes show him not understanding. I feel the satisfaction radiate from Chris behind me, even though I can’t even see him. One word. One damn word is all he needs. And I obey. My body obeys his command over Dragan’s. What am I doing?!

“Arya?” Dragan asks while I force my body to stay completely still. The heat in my abdomen is back. Every cell in my body is screaming to be touched. My skin is burning with desire to be touched. My lips are dry...

“Come back here, _female_ ” Chris orders hard and expectantly. Shit. I close my eyes hard and take a step back. I hear Dragan’s heavy breathing in front of me. Another step back. And another. I don’t need to see where I’m going. Chris is somewhere behind me and after enough steps I will step directly into his large arms. And be lost forever.

“You’ve made your point, Ozera” Dragan says hard, but even I can hear the pain is his voice. Another step.

“I know” Chris replies arrogantly. Another step. I am so close now, that I can feel the heat from Chris’ body radiate against my back.

“Just one more step, Arya...” Chris whispers warmly and I exhale as I take another step. Those huge arms close hard around my body and I almost burst into flames right here and now.

“ _Mine.”_

Chris whispers the word into my hair so low that I’m not even sure if I did hear it or if I’m imagining it. Then I hear Dragan cry out in pain as he hisses aggressively towards us. I open my eyes in surprise over the sound. Wow. Dragan is changed. He is crouched forward in a position to attack, while his lips are peeled back over his teeth and he hisses again. Like a snake about to attack. Chris chuckles behind me.

“Easy, Chozny, no reason to get so worked up. It’s just a _female_ ” Chris smiles as he tightens the grip around me so hard, that I gasp for air and feel myself be pulled up from the floor. He puts his nose into my hair and breathes in deep. That does it. Dragan attacks. He’s fast. Chris is faster. Dragan is almost halfway towards us, when I feel the cold metal against my throat and see Dragan’s body freeze in spot.

“Hmm maybe not just a _female_ after all, seeing as you’ve bonded with her” Chris mumbles cheerfully into my hair and I gasp again. I doubt Chris is going to shoot me, but a small part of me isn’t confident about it even though he’s had a whole week to do so if that’s what he wanted. But maybe he will do it to hurt Dragan? Maybe he’s saved me for this very moment? No. He needs me. I am his leverage against Dragan. He’s had countless of chances to hurt me and he hasn’t. So he won’t now either.

I feel a movement in Chris’ body as he nods for Dragan to get back. Dragan steps back with a painful expression. Away from us. Away from _me_. My heart practically cheers by the thought of Dragan being held away from me by Chris. But I struggle to keep focus. My insides are boiling. It’s almost painful to be held by Chris’ strong, warm and hard arm. I need _him_.

“ _Chris_...” I whisper in pain and feel my body get hotter. Chris tightens his hold on me while his body starts to shake a bit. For a brief second it confuses me, but then I realise that he’s laughing. Is Chris laughing at me?

“Can you see it, Dragan? Can you see how she is?” he says intensely and presses me harder into his body, so hard that I’m lifted off the ground by his strength. Chris puts his nose down to my hair again and takes a deep breath. I close my eyes in pleasure. My abdomen tightens and I almost orgasm right here and now.

“Mmm can you smell that? Can you smell the change in her skin from over there?” he mumbles into my hair and fixates his hard stare at Dragan, who’s almost petrified. He’s staring at me in confusion and despair. Chris lowers the gun from my throat, only to press is hard against the bottom of my belly.

“Don’t you understand, _cousin_?”

Cousin? I hear the word, but I don’t understand the meaning of it because I suddenly realise the truth about something else. And Dragan realises the same thing in that exact same second. I widen my eyes in horror as the lust fades and I look towards Dragan. Our eyes met and the emotions shoot through the room; he’s showing me joy, expectation and happiness. But all I’m feeling is fear.

“ _No_...” I whisper horrified and grab Chris’ hand that’s placed on my belly.

“It can’t be true...”

My nausea last night. My mood swings. My crazy feelings – the sudden anger, the al-consuming lust... As a reply to my unspoken fear, I feel the lightest of touches brush against the bottom of my belly. _From the inside_. Shit.

“It’s true, Arya” Chris mumbles behind me as he takes another deep breath well aware that it will press me tighter in against him.

“You _are_ pregnant.”

The words confirm my fear. But how? I’ve only known Dragan for a few days. I can’t possibly be pregnant and even if I was, no one could see or know this soon. And I most definitely should _not_ be able to feel anything after just a few days. It should be months before I could feel something.

“But, how...” I whisper, unable to comprehend or articulate my thoughts.

“We don’t reproduce the same way Homo sapiens do. As you might have noticed, we are them superior on many accounts, both physically and mentally. As are our offspring. Our females aren’t pregnant for as long as human women are and the children grow faster and become much stronger very fast. Hmm, it’ll be interesting to see how long you’re pregnant. How much of us you have in you, how much Dragan’s genes will affect the young...”

Chris’ voice is intense and uplifted. He’s enjoying this. A little too much. And yet. There is an unspoken pain in the undertone of his words. A pain that I’m probably the only one who can hear. I suddenly realise something,

“ _My situation_... Oh no, your female... She was pregnant” I whisper so low, that only Chris can hear. The pain radiates from his body and he hugs me tighter. It’s almost painful. But I don’t notice it. I only notice _his_ pain.

“What happened?” I whisper horrified and for the first time I feel a stab of pity towards this evil male who’s kidnapped me and held me captive for the last week. The male who’s been nothing but nice to me, actually, but now he’s about to give me back to a male who really has forced me. So much for his niceness. Chris breathes heavily and his pain is replaced by anger.

“She died. And it’s _his_ fault” he growls low and angry, while he focuses his anger towards Dragan. I gasp in surprise by the words and stare at Dragan, horrified.

“D?” I ask insecure and shake my head.

“Say it isn’t true...”

Dragan stares bitterly at me, but then focuses his attention at Chris.

“No matter what happened with Maria back then...”

Chris’ huge body jerks by the sound of her name.

“... it has nothing to do with Arya. Or the fact that she’s pregnant. So let her go, cousin” Dragan's says calmly. I feel Chris’ body harden before he hisses angrily at Dragan.

“Arya has _everything_ to do with this. A pregnant female for a pregnant female – that’s only fair, don’t you think, _cousin_?” Chris replies sarcastic and lifts the gun to my throat again. I gasp loudly in surprise. And fear. The fear is pounding through my blood. Shit. My stomach turns upside down. Oh no... the nausea shoots through me. This is too much... black spots dance before my eyes.

“Chris! Let me go!” I exclaim terrified and fell my stomach twist under Chris’ hard arm. He releases his hold on me, but I don’t get a chance to react before darkness takes over and I pass out in Chris’ arms.

*

I wake up disorientated and realise that I’m lying on the leather couch in Chris’ office. My memories of the events prior to me fainting is clear and I see, that I haven’t been gone for too long – nothing has changed, except that I am no longer in Chris’ arms. Anton is in front of me, Chris in front of him. I slowly sit up on the couch.

“Your choice, Chozny; your female or your stubbornness. Fight at my side instead of against me and save Arya. Be stubborn and you will never see her – or your young – again. She will remain mine. The young will be mine. Your choice, Dragan. What’s it gonna be?” Chris’ words are calm but serious. He’s serious. I have no doubts about that. Dragan’s eyes flicker to me. I take a deep breath and feel Chris’ attention shift to me, even though he keeps his back to me. And now that I am no longer trapped in Chris’ arms, my reason overshadows my body’s need and reactions.

“No...” I whisper weakly and feel my eyes get wet. I don’t want to go back to Dragan, to become his ‘slave’ again. But do I even have a choice here?

“You will never touch Arya again...” Dragan starts and I feel the triumph radiate from Chris, as he shakes his head.

“I promise to never hurt her, cousin” Chris replies arrogant and awaits Dragan's final accept. Dragan stays calm and I get up from the couch. I walk past Anton, but as I come closer to Chris he reaches out his arm to hold me back. As if I was going to move past him to go to Dragan.

“Not yet, Arya, he hasn’t accepted my offer yet. You’re not his again until he does” Chris says confident. I do however think I hear a hidden pain in his voice. But it’s probably just my imagination. Why would he even care?

“Chris, I...” I whisper silently, but I don’t even know what I want to say. How can I tell Chris that I don’t want him to give me back to Dragan? What I want to stay here? With him – even if he doesn’t want me like that; even if he was just using me to get to Dragan. Dragan's eyes fixate on me and I see him accept the surrender. His love - or whatever it is - for me wins over his resistance towards Chris.

“Fine, I accept” Dragan mumbles low and the same second he does, the triumph is radiating from Chris’ huge body. Anton grabs me around my waist and almost throws me into Dragan’s arms with every expectation of him catching me. And he does. Those strong arms of his close around me in a hard embrace and all I can feel is... sorrow. Sorrow and a bit of relief. It’s actually a relief not to feel the chaos of emotions and lust I feel being in Chris’ arms. But being in Dragan’s arms feels wrong. Even though I don’t belong to Chris, I most certainly don’t belong to Dragan either.

“Arya” Dragan whispers urgently and I let him hug me tightly.

“Yeah” I whisper back and feel warm tears fall from my cheeks only to land on his shoulder. He probably thinks I’m crying because I’m happy to be with him again; happy to be free from the dangerous Chris Ozera.

“Schh, it’s okay, girl, I’m right here” he mumbles into my hair. I let him hug me in a desperate attempt to feel some kind of safety and security from him. Dragan doesn’t seem to mind though. He tightens his hold on me, but reacts to the sound of the door opening. I don’t look to see who’s entered, but Dragan's body stiffen in a second. He puts me down and shoves me hard behind him, so he blocks my view of whoever entered and vice versa. I hear Chris’ low laughter fill the room.

“Well, cousin, I guess it’s time to introduce Arya to the rest of the family, don’t you?”

Chris’ voice is superior and powerful. Damned annoying. Damned hot. My abdomen tightens but I ignore it.

“Arya?” a new voice says and I immediately peak around Dragan. What the f...?

“Morten?” I ask astonished and stare in bewilderment at Morten from my linguistics class who’s just entered the office. The contrast between my normal life and the crazy last few days have been so clear, but with Morten’s arrival it all falls apart. I can’t decide whether to laugh or burst out in tears. I stare at Morten, then at Chris, while I grab Dragan's hand and squeeze it hard because I need to feel something – anything – right now. Something real that makes it stay real for me because surely this can’t be a dream. And the truth hits me as clear as sunlight as I look from the man to the male beside him.

“Brothers... Oh shit... you guys are brothers” I whisper without understanding, when the resemblance between Morten and Chris hits me right in the face. It’s so clear to see, having them side by side. I would have never seen it or even guessed the relationship between them before. I hadn’t even notice the behavioural similarities between them. Chris is so huge and powerful, and yeah Morten might be almost as tall, but he’s lean and arrogant. Which Chris also is but still...

“You really _do_ see too much” Chris mumbles, but his smile confirms my words. He clasps Morten on the shoulder and nods to me.

“My little brother. On my father’s side, so half Homo sapiens, I might add. But still my blood. And Dragan’s cousin.”

Dragan grips my hand harder. Alright, so he clearly doesn’t like any of his cousins. Good to know. The door opens again and another man entered. Oh no. My heart skips a beat. Martin. No, Chris, what are you doing? What will you do? But Chris isn’t the one reacting. Morten does. He clasps Martin’s shoulder just as Chris clasped his and looks at me. Martin is calm, but a bit insecure. Why isn’t he terrified? Shouldn’t he be?

“Your ex boyfriend is my cousin. On my mother’s side, so he’s all Homo sapiens” Morten says with that arrogant attitude of his and I quell an overwhelming urge to slap him. The seriousness of all this is starting to sink in.

“But I don’t understand...” I say while shaking my head and stepping closer to Dragan. His hand sneaks around my waist and he pulls me in closely. Protective and dominating. I don’t really think about it, because my attention is focused on Chris. Something flashes in those grey eyes. I ask him silently with my eyes what it is, but his face reveals nothing. And... why do I even care what flashes in Chris’ eyes? I’m not his. He’s not mine. He just gave me back to my rapist, for fuck sake. He doesn’t care about me. I need to stop looking at him.

“When your ex made contact with Dragan and you a few weeks ago, he picked up a certain vibe he’s only ever felt around one other person; his cousin Morten. That’s why he reached out to Morten and told him what happened with you, and that some brute named Dragan had taken you from him. My dear brother called me to tell what happened and I went to find your sweet professor to get you to come to me and well, the rest of the story you already know” Chris says calmly. His eyes are fixated on me, as he reads every emotion on my face, waiting for my reply and reaction. All this information roams inside my head and I desperately try to make sense of it. And slowly it does.

“So everything that has happened since you kidnapped me...”

I nod towards Chris and try not to look into those grey eyes as they remind me of every sexual thing he has done to me...

“... is actually your fault?”

I look at Martin. He tries to imitate Morten’s arrogance but fail miserably. He is scared. In this room filled with powerful beings who aren’t humans, Martin is at the bottom of the food chain and he knows it.

“I...” he stumbles, but shake his head, “I just wanted you back.”

His words make Dragan jerk.

“She’s mine” he grows and pulls me harder into him. My eyes catch Chris’ and again with the something flashing is them. What is that? Jealousy? Pain? Envy? It’s gone in no time and he turns towards Martin.

“Do what you must” he mumbles as he pulls out his gun. Without words, he hands it out towards me and Dragan, and I feel Dragan's arm release me so he can reach for the gun. My body freezes and I see in slow-motion how Dragan steps in front of me and points the gun at Martin.

“DRAGAN, NO!” I scream when I realise what he’s about to do and reach out to stop him, but it’s too late. The sound of the gunshot echoes in the large room and I see Martin fall to the ground, covered in blood and with no life in his eyes. No! No... no... no! My eyes become wet and I look over at Chris, who nods to Dragan and reaches out for his gun. What? No! How can he approve of this? Dragan turns towards me and reach out with one hand, but I pull back, away from him, away from all these murderous males who aren’t even my own race. Tears fall fast from my eyes and I try to blink them away but they are too many. Without thinking, my hand reaches down to cradle the bottom of my belly. A push, light as a feather’s touch, brushes against the inside of my belly. I look down, confused, and feel the sorrow over Martin and that hate towards Chris and Dragan step back – another feeling takes over and I can’t resist the urge to protect my child. I look up and those steel grey eyes are knowing and intense. What?

“Arya...” Dragan says and I direct my attention at him, “are you okay?”

“The baby” I whisper and sniffle a bit, “it moved. How is that even possible?”

I don’t know who I’m asking, but Dragan is the one who replies.

“I don’t know. I don’t even know what it is – mostly me or mostly you” he says and he reaches out for me, but I pull back again. Another brush against my insides. Can the baby feel Dragan’s presence? Is that what it is?

“It looks like you two are having a private moment” Chris announces superior and the door opens again. Two of his males enter and start to drag Martins body out the room.

“I’ll need you soon, cousin, we have business to discuss.”

Dragan nods without looking at Chris. Then he grabs my wrist and pulls me out the office. Walking past Chris I can’t stop myself from looking up at him and those grey eyes shine with.. what is it? Triumph? Jealousy? Bitterness? What is it that he’s trying to hide? And why doesn’t he grab me and pull me away from Dragan? Oh right, because he doesn’t care. I look down and let Dragan pull me up the stairs and into a randomly selected bedroom. Or so it seems. He kicks the door shut behind us and locks it before turning towards me again. I don’t have time to talk or even think before Dragan is over me. His lips are hard against mine as his tongue invades my mouth and those strong hands grab everything – my ass, my arms, my hair, my face, and my breasts. Then he grabs my wrists and forces my arms behind my back. The position painfully reminds me of Chris and the orgasm he just gave me in the kitchen, but I try to shake the memories of the past away and focus on the present. I am pressed into that hard body of Dragan’s and I can feel a hard, warm erection throb against my belly. My whole body hums as it remembers every touch and feeling from earlier today.

“Arya...” Dragan whispers painfully and I see his eyes reflect the same pain as his words. I nod quietly.

“I’m here” I whisper back and let Dragan pull me in closer as I smell his bonding surround us both. Am I?


	13. A kiss for a life

A heavy knock on the door bursts our intimate bobble. Dragan groans unsatisfied and pulls me deeper into the room in a quick move, before he unlocks the door. Chris is standing in the hallway and I see the muscles in Dragan’s back tense. The sight of Chris’ huge body in the door opening, makes images from last night flash through my mind and I realise – to my own horror – that my body was feeling _Chris_ before. Not Dragan. Shit. What’s happening to me? Chris takes a deep breath and smiles widely.

“I can smell you’re about to do some catching up. Too bad, cousin, she smelled better without you on her” Chris mumbles and while he awaits Dragan’s reply, his eyes looks at me. I put my arms around myself, feeling vulnerable and exposed under Chris’ intense stare. Does he know?

“Forget Arya” Dragan groans hard, “what do you want?” Chris smiles and focuses on Dragan.

“I need you downstairs. We’ve got business to attend to. Things to do, people to kill...” Chris smiles and I gasp at the last word, which clearly is meant for me. I shake my head. Dragan moves to stand in front of me, blocking Chris from seeing me.

“Don’t even look at her, Ozera. I’ll be downstairs in a minute” Dragan says hard and I hear Chris chuckle, as he walks down the hallway. Dragan slams the door and turns towards me again. I sit down on the bed and Dragan looks down at me with a painful expression. He takes a few fast steps towards me and falls to his knees in front of me.

“I’m sorry, Arya” he whispers and his voice breaks, as he grabs my hands and hugs them in his own. “I’m so sorry for all this. I didn’t protect you. I let Ozera get his hands on you. I fought the best I could, I used all my connections to get to you... and I’m so happy I found you in time, before he could get his hands on you. I know he’s been away for business for the past week, so he hasn’t had a chance to... Just the thought of him all over you makes me want to kill him...”

My eyes get wet. I sink a troubled lump. No, I can’t tell him. Because if I tell him the truth... he’ll want to fight Chris. He’ll try to kill him. And he’ll most likely lose. Chris is too powerful, too strong. Dragan could die. I can’t risk that. I can’t gamble his life like that. Too many people have already died because of me. I can’t let another one die. Not even if it’s Dragan. And somewhere deep inside me I don’t want Chris to be like that; to be that horrible killer I’ve been made to understand he is. Because that’s not the male I’ve seen since he took me. I nod to Dragan and force a smile.

“Me too” I whisper weakly and let Dragan hug me tight in relief over my lie. We both fall back on the bed. He must never know. And I need to forget Chris and everything he’s done to me. I’m not his. I never will be. My stomach roars loudly. Dragan mumbles to me.

“Are you hungry, girl?” His voice is teasing and his hand covers my belly.

“Or maybe my son is hungry?”

I exclaim a weak laugh.

“Maybe it’s your _daughter_ who’s hungry?” I smile as I feel the tension lift. Dragan smiles fondly at me. The same smile that I saw just a week ago in the forest. Seriously? Has it already been a whole week? It feels like a lifetime ago. Another Arya, to be honest.

“Yes, maybe, Arya... Maybe” Dragan mumbles and gets up from the bed, while he reaches a hand down to pull me up. As I stand, I feel a light touch inside me and my hands instinctively reach down.

“Again?” Dragan asks and I nod while removing my hands, so Dragan is able to put his own on my belly to feel the baby kick. For fuck sake, it’s only been a few days! I can’t possibly be _that_ pregnant. But yeah, the baby moves again and Dragan's eyes shoot up to mine as if he felt it. I look down at his hands in astonishment. No? How is that possible? Has my belly seriously _grown_ during the day? Is that really a tiny _baby-bump_ I can see under his hand?

“D...” I whisper horrified, “how long are your females pregnant?”

“40 days” he replies seriously and my eyes look up.

“40 DAYS?” I exclaim high-pitched and black spots dance before my eyes. I sink down on the bed again.

“Approximately. It depends on how pure blooded they are. Thoroughbred females are pregnant for 40 days despite their low fertility. Homo sapiens-women are pregnant for 240 days or 40 weeks as they say. The more Homo sapiens you are, the longer you’ll be pregnant. Unless the child is more me than you. That’ll shorten the time.”

“So... how long am I going to be pregnant?”

“It’s not an exact science, Arya. No one knows the answer because no one knows how much of each you are. Or what the baby is. But judging from the acceleration of your pregnancy... it would seem that you’re more an Other than I can sense. And that’s why the baby is growing so fast.”

I sink painfully. No. I am not one of their crazy Others. I would know if I was, if my parents were. My parents were humans. I have no doubt about that. Chris was wrong when he said he could smell Others in me. Dragan is wrong now. I’m human.

“My parents were humans... I _am_ human” I whisper desperately trying to convince myself.

“Hmm” Dragan mumbles and kisses my gently on the forehead.

“I have to go.”

I nod weakly. Dragan's warm lips meet mine and I try to give in to the kiss. But my thought won’t let me and my body won’t give in. It’s not me anymore. I’m not me. And I’m not Dragan’s.

“Make sure you eat something” Dragan mumbles before leaving the bedroom. I fall back on the bed. My eyes get wet and I relive the scene in the office with Chris handing Dragan his gun so he could kill Martin ‘ _because he must’_. I didn’t want him dead. True I didn’t love him like a boyfriend, but I had been with him for years and that kind of friendship don’t just die because the guy made a mistake. So many dead... because of me. Because of Chris’ and Dragan’s insane obsessions with me. What are they doing? Why am I so damn important to them? Is Dragan really in love with me or is he just obsessed with me? Like sexually obsessed in a serial-killer-kinda-way? And why does Chris even care? Seriously, he only needs me to control Dragan. Doesn’t he? That’s what he said. It just feels like there is more to it than that. It’s like my heart is trying to tell me something, but the grief and fear cripples me. I can’t think. Shit. How the Hell did I end up here? In this crazy life. It all just seems so... surreal. And so damned real at the same time. I’ve never felt more alive. More real. And never have I felt so wanted before. Like a woman. Surrounded by these powerful and testosterone filled males, I finally feel like a woman. Gentle, protected, strong, feminine. But all this death, all this seriousness... Can I live with that?

*

A knock on the door makes me drop my line of thoughts. I get up from the bed and slowly approach the door.

“Who is it?” I ask careful and listen.

“James” someone answers and I gently open the door a bit. Yup. James is standing in the hallway, just as tall and blonde as always. But those crystal blue eyes are not cheerful as they use to be. He pushes the door open and lets his eyes wander down my body, up my body, around my face. He’s not checking me out; he’s checking me for injuries.

“You’re okay” he mumbles and closes those long arms around me in a surprising hug. James hugs me tightly, while he mumbles their remarkable language into my hair. Under other circumstances this would have been awkward and uncomfortable; our first meeting in D’s bedroom taken into consideration, but there is absolutely nothing sexual about this hug. It’s just warmth, relief and happiness. James really does care about me, in a completely innocent and asexual way. It’s actually a nice diversion from those intense and crazy feelings between Dragan and I. And Chris and I.

“I’m okay” I whisper back and slowly James releases his hold. He smiles at me,

“Dragan said you were hungry?” James asks and his smile becomes wider as he looks down at my belly, which clearly shows a little dent in the fabric of my dress. I’m surprised by the smile creeping over my lips and nods to confirm that I indeed am hungry. James leads me down to the kitchen.

*

I’ve just swallowed the last bite of my food, when James’ mobile phone rings. He answers with a simple ‘yes’ and immediately his eyes fixate on me. Oh no. Again?

“She’s safe, D”... “Yes, in the kitchen” ... “Are you sure?” ... “Alright, 2 minutes.”

James ends the call with Dragan.

“Can you take care of yourself for a little while?” James asks bitterly and the memories of those two times I’ve run from him are so clear in my mind, but I ignore them.

“I’m not going anywhere” I reply, and smile fake to convince us both, “I promise.”

James nods approvingly and leaves the kitchen. I lean back in the chair, close my eyes while I take a deep breath. And another.

A high-pitched scream makes me jerk in surprise. It sounds like its coming from behind the door at the other end of the kitchen, a door that seems to lead outside. Shit. I just promised to stay put. But what if someone is in danger? I did promise not to go anywhere, as in anywhere else. Technically I didn’t promise that I wouldn’t leave the mansion so... I stand up determined and press down the handle on the door, having every expectation of it being locked, but to my surprise the door opens. Another scream makes me push open the door as hard as I can and I step out through it, out into what looks like a garden. The afternoon sun is low on the sky and it momentarily blinds me, while the coldness hits my face like a fist.

“Arya!” a voice exclaims in front of me and I look confused towards Bryan’s voice. My eyes finally see the scenery next to him. What is going on? A few feet in front of me, a woman is lying belly down on the frozen ground with two males on top of her, holding her down. Bryan is next to them, breathless, as if he’s just stopped running. The two males hold the woman - or female - ’s arms forced behind her back, while she screams for them to let her go.

“What the Hell is going on?” I exclaim horrified and the two males stare at me in surprise.

“Arya! Go back inside, it’s too cold for you out here” Bryan growls and points to the kitchen door behind me, “you don’t need to see this.”

“It’s a little too late for that now, don’t you think?” I snap bitchy and focus on the female in front of me.

“Are you okay?”

She shakes her head weakly and I see her eyes get wet. Some protectiveness inside me takes over and I cannot let these brutes hurt this female; even if I don’t know what she has done; even if she isn’t innocent. Hurting women or females is just _wrong_. The two males pull her from the ground as Bryan steps in front of her to block my view.

“Stay out of this, female” Bryan says hard and tries to stare me into obedience. As if Chris and Dragan and everyone else haven’t already tried that. Not working.

“Who is she?” I ask seriously and keep my eyes on Bryan.

“It doesn’t matter. She’s here on borrowed time” he growls and I catch the meaning immediately – it’s borrowed time because she’s already dead.

“What has she done?” I demand. I am _so_ testing Bryan’s patience but I will _not_ back down from this. Even if I probably should.

“She’s a traitor” he growls angrily and I get a very strong feeling that he really doesn’t like this female or whatever it is she’s done.

“So you’re going to kill her, is that is?” I ask hard but the edge of my voice clearly sounds as horrified as I feel and Bryan’s hard stare answers my question. He turns towards the other males and waves them off.

“Stop!” I exclaim and take a step towards them, but Bryan stops me.

“Forget it, female, this is none of your business!”

His grip on my arms is hard and painful.

“Let me go!” I scream, trying to get free. It hurts. And... I really don’t like his hands on me.

“Let her go.”

The hard, demanding voice comes from behind me and it sends chills down my spine. That dominating tone can only be from _him_. Bryan lets me go immediately and steps back. I take a deep breath and turn around.

“What’s going on here?” Chris demands and focuses those steel grey eyes on me, while he ignores Bryan’s attempts to speak up.

“She -” Bryan starts, but one look from Chris and he shuts his mouth again.

“Arya?” Chris asks expectantly. I take another deep breath and look up. The truth, Arya, just tell him the truth!

“I heard screaming, so I came out here to see who it was. I saw a woman ... a female ... being held captured while she was trying to escape, but him and two others tied her up and took her away. I wanted to help her, but he stopped me... and then you came” I reply calmly. Chris’ eyes are watchful.

“Bryan is right, this is none of your business” Chris replies arrogantly and nods to Bryan, who leaves the same way the two males took the female. Excuse me? The rage is boiling in my blood. I take a step closer to Chris.

“So this is the kind of man you really are? A man who kills women? Who forces people’s loyalty with threats and violence? Who keeps old ladies trapped while he rapes his ‘guests’? So much for you being nice to me earlier, huh. Guess it was all an act. You really _are_ an evil man.”

For every word I spit out, the heat in my blood rises. All my emotions and frustrations are pouring out of my mouth in anger and I am aiming them straight at Chris, who stands completely still and lets me give it to him. Then he grabs my wrists. I gasp in surprise, both from the sudden movement, but also from the jolt that goes through my body as it feels his warm, rough hands on my naked skin.

“You’re forgetting one thing, _female_ , I am not a _man_. I am a male. I am far superior to humans and I can do exactly what I want to you and those you care about. Don’t ever forget that. Your old kidnapper ‘D’ is only alive because it pleases me to use him in my fight. You are only alive, because I need you to get him to obey. You are my leverage. His loyalty is bought with your life, remember? Your life belongs to _me_.”

His words are intense and arrogant. I sink while the fear pounds through me, but I refuse to be subjugated by it or by him. I straighten my back a bit, while I look up at Chris with hard eyes.

“That’s right, _Chris_. Dragan’s loyalty _is_ bought with my life. You just said it yourself. So you can’t hurt me without losing him.”

I make my voice as hard as I can; trying to imitate the arrogance from Chris, as the anger in his grey eyes confirms my words. Oh yeah. I am _so_ right. He can’t touch me.

“So killing women, is that part of your so-called business?” I wonder and Chris replies by raising an arrogant eyebrow. Yes. Yes, of course it is. My heart aches and I feel my eyes get wet. All my anger is gone, like a balloon deflating and the disbelief and regret takes over.

“What do you want from me, Arya?” Chris groans angrily and tightens his grip on my upper arms. Wow. Shit. He is still the dominant and powerful male, but right now, in this very second, _I_ have the power. And it actually terrifies me. A powerful male cornered, is a very dangerous male.

“Chris” I whisper and take a deep breath to calm myself. I lay my hands flat on his hard stomach. That huge body jerks by the feeling of my gentleness. I can feel the hard muscles in his abdomen tighten under my fingers, even through the fabrics of his clothes.

“I know you don’t want to hurt me. Because you’re not as evil as you want everyone to think you are; not even as evil as _I_ think you are. You’re better than that. I know you are. So _please_ don’t kill her.”

Now it’s Chris who takes a deep breath, while his gaze is locked on me. I look up at him pleadingly and take advantage of all the female power I think I have over him to save a stranger’s life; surprising the both of us by my behaviour. What am I doing?

“Dammit, Arya...” Chris growls tortured and lets go of my arms, only to grab my face in his huge hands. Without hesitation, Chris presses his warm lips to mine. The shock paralyses me. Wow. Where did _that_ come from? Chris presses himself hard against me, while his tongue forces access to my mouth. I let him kiss me, unable to move, even if I wanted to. I am drowning in his kiss, while my hands tug his shirt hard. The world around me disappears and I can’t sense anything but Chris; his warm lips aggressively against mine and his warm hands around my face. I am trapped by his power over me and I want to be trapped. Dammit, I _want_ him to kiss me. The kiss lasts longer than it should, and slowly he lets my lips go, pulling his head a few centimetre back from mine. I can feel his warm breath on my lips and hear his hectic, shallow breathing.

“You might want to reconsider that statement, _female_. But the traitor stays alive. Imprisoned, but alive. _For you_ ” Chris growls and lets me go, before he turns around and disappears into the mansion again. I take my hand up to my lips, recalling that intense and surprising kiss. Our first! What the Hell is he doing? Through all my time here, he has never kissed me. He’s basically done everything else to me, sexually speaking, but he’s _never_ kissed me. Kissing just makes it that more intimately, more intense and more personal. That tortured look in those steel grey eyes... Shit. Does that mean what I think it means? Does Chris have... feelings for me? Is he _in love_ with me? Is that what I’ve seen flashing in his eyes so many times now; love in form of jealousy and envy? And now he’s kissing me? No. It can’t be. It must be my imagination because I want him to want me. But he doesn’t. I am his prisoner. He only fucked me to get back at Dragan. Dammit, Chris gave me back to Dragan. I hate him for it. Chris knows this. And Dragan has bonded with me. Chris knows that too. And two males can’t bond with the same female. Can they?

“All this time...” someone says and I spin around startled. Morten is standing a few feet away, looking as arrogant and annoying as always.

“... you’ve been sitting in the same classroom as me and I never noticed you. But my brother certainly notices you, doesn’t he? I mean, what a kiss!”

Shit! He saw! What the Hell am I going to say and do now? I straighten my back and return that arrogant attitude.

“I’ve always found you annoying, but I never imagined you being a creepy Peeping Tom. Guess you never really know people, huh?” I reply, folding my arms across my chest. Morten’s smile fades a bit, and oh the satisfaction is unbelievably sweet.

“Careful, _girl_ , I may not be a full-blooded male like my big brother, but I am not a weak man either. And you are just a human. My brother can easily kill you for hurting my feelings. You should take that into consideration before speaking against me” Morten threats and I can’t help myself; I burst out an are-you-kidding-me-laugh.

“After that kiss, you really think your brother will choose you over me? I don’t think so” I snort laughing. Morten’s eyes become angry at my laughter. I don’t even know where that came from.

“You better watch your back from now on, _girl_. Your _precious D_ won’t always be there to protect you.”

I laugh again, but this time, my laughter has a nervous edge to it.

“I don’t need Dragan to protect me. _Chris_ will protect me. I am his and he will not let you touch me, so go ahead and try” I snap arrogantly. Morten turns around and stalks off with angry steps. My laughter dies. Morten couldn’t hurt me. Chris would never allow him to touch me. I _know_ he wouldn’t. That kiss is telling me more than words ever will. Chris would never allow me to get hurt. Because I may be a prisoner, but I am _his_ prisoner.


	14. The dungeon of truth

“Arya?”

The sound of my name pulls me out of my nervous thinking. Dragan is standing right in front of me and he grabs my face with his cold hands. I look up at him. His eyes are worried.

“Are you okay, girl?” he asks urgently and I nod without thinking while I smile weakly. This whole lying to him is becoming a bad habit but I’m trying to... what? Protect him? Protect myself?

“Yes, D, I’m okay” I reply and let him pulls me into his arms. I rest my head on his hard chest, while he holds me tight. This is wrong. Being here in Dragan’s arms is wrong. I can feel how my body is wanting to fight him off me because there’s another set of strong arms they crave instead. I’m so screwed.

“Female.”

A hard voice interrupts us and I turn around in Dragan’s arms. Bryan is in front of us with an arrogant expression and he looks angry.

“What?” Dragan asks hard, but Bryan keeps his focus on me.

“She’s asking for you” he says. She? The female! She’s still alive! Chris has kept his word.

“Who?” Dragan asks confused. Bryan looks at him in disgust.

“A traitor your female just saved from getting killed. I don’t know what the fuck she said to the boss, but apparently it was convincing enough to get him to spare her life. If you ask me, that bitch deserves to die, just like all you other traitors in The Resistance. Damned traitors!” Bryan spits towards Dragan, but he ignores him and turns towards me.

“Explanation, Arya. Now!” he growls hard and I sink while looking for the right mix of lies and truth.

“I heard screams, then saw a woman – well a female, I guess – being forced by some of Chris’ bullies and when Chris came, I begged him not to kill her and he accepted” I answer weakly. I silently pray to whoever is listening for Dragan to accept my vague explanation without being suspicious about Chris doing something just because someone begged – and someone being me of all people. Not that anyone is listening to my weak prayer.

“Why would he listen to you?” Dragan asks confused and my mind is working hard to come up with another explanation than the truth. Because no way am I telling Dragan that I just traded a kiss for a life. Or that I wanted that kiss more than I want to breathe.

“Like I said; I begged him. And I also reminded him that Martin just got killed by his gun, even if you were the one pulling the trigger. I told him he owed me a life. And that I wanted this female’s life as payment.” Damn, Arya, nice thinking!

“And that’s all?” he asks suspiciously and I nod, while I smile weakly.

“Hmm. And now she wants to see you, to thank you?”

I shrug but nod anyway.

“I guess?”

“I don’t like it. But I’ll allow it seeing as this compound is completely secure so you can’t run anywhere. But you are still not going alone, even though I don’t have time to go with you. James will keep an eye on you.”

In that second, James appears around the corner of the mansion, as if summoned by Dragan in his thoughts. Dragan lowers his head to mine, but I bend my neck and he has to kiss me on the forehead instead.

“I’ll look out for her” James promises for the, what, third time? Fourth time? We both follow Bryan, leaving Dragan behind. I don’t look back. How could I let Dragan kiss me when I’ve just been kissed by Chris? And worse yet; when he’s the only one I want kissing me?

Bryan takes us through the frost covered garden and down to what looks like a large garage. And yes, inside it are cars and motorcycles lined up, but that’s not all. In the far corner of the garage, a large stone staircase leads down under the garage. Shit. Am I going down there? James puts a calming hand on my lower back and I breathe in deeply, before I follow Bryan down that creepy staircase into the basement under the garage. So deep. It’s not just a basement. It’s a freaking dungeon. There are prisoner cells on each side for as long as the eye can see. The air is heavy and cold and dense. We walk down the corridor of cells and I see that they are all empty. All except one. The one that Bryan stops in front of. A female is curled together in the corner of the cell with her knees up in front of her and her long, dark hair hanging like a protective veil around her. The sound of us approaching has her jerking her head up. Her eyes catch mine and I see the gratitude shine in them. She gets up quickly and almost runs to the bars. James grabs me and pulls me away from the bars in the same second as the female reaches out to me.

“You saved me” she whispers and lets her arm reach out to me. I nod while I sigh heavily.

“It’s okay, James, she won’t hurt me” I mumble and reluctantly he lets me go. I step forwards and let my hand reach out to grab the female’s. An electric jolt goes through the us both as our fingers meet and the female pulls her hand back in surprise. She pulls back from the bars too.

“Are you okay?” I ask surprised and the female stares at me for a long time, before she slowly nods.

“Megan” she says and steps up to the bars again, “my name is Megan.”

“Arya” I reply and extend my hand towards her again. Carefully she places her own in mine and this time, nothing happens. She looks at me with wide eyes and I look at her, as I truly _see_ her for the first time. She is gorgeous. We’re almost equal height; Megan is just a few inches taller than me. She’s older than me, not much, maybe a few years or five. Her hair is long and dark, completely straight as opposed to my long, cobber blonde curls. Her eyes are brown; her skin has a faint glow to it, like she’s not of north European decent. Maybe south European? She’s slim and athletically build and for a brief second I feel soft and curvy in contrast to her agility.

“How did you do it?” she asks astonished and pulls her hand back.

“Do what?” I ask confused, still trapped in my own thoughts about our differences.

“Get Ozera to spare me. I know he ordered me killed. But that one – “

She nods towards Bryan.

“ – came and said that a _human woman_ had changed his mind. How did you do that?”

Bryan actually called me a human woman? He always calls me female. I take a deep breath. As if I could ever tell _her_ the truth; that I let Chris kiss me in exchange for her life?

“I asked him to” I reply, not looking at her questioning eyes, “we have a special... understanding of each other. And he owed me a favour.”

I feel James’ curious eyes on my back, but try to ignore it as I feed her the same lie I told Dragan. Only Chris knows the truth and he won’t tell anyone. I hope. Megan puts her arms around herself and I notice that she’s only wearing shorts and a tank top.

“Are you cold?” I ask concerned and she nods weakly. I look at James behind me, who reluctantly nod and disappear down the corridor.

“I wasn’t exactly dressed for the occasion when Ozera’s goons kidnapped me” she says and looks angrily at Bryan. I feel like smiling at the memory of when I was kidnapped by Chris, but keep my smile back. I guess no one is ready for Chris to kidnap them.

“You knew we were coming after that crazy shit you guys did last month” Bryan growls and I see Megan crouch into a defensive position.

“You are the crazy ones! What the Hell were _you_ guys doing? Poor children!” she exclaims in a high tone and throws herself at the bars in desperation.

“What are you talking about?” I ask, looking from one to the other, “what shit? What children?”

Megan replies first;

“My sister is a teacher at a preschool. Ozera and his goons invaded the school, forcing all the human children out of the rooms. My sister called me and the others in The Resistance, and we arrived just in time to see the children from her class be forced away. _The human children_. They were forced out of the school, leaving only pure blooded Other children behind. We tried to stop them. There were fights... but at the end, we just couldn’t stop them from taking the kids away. Some of my friends were captured... but I escaped with my sister’s help. We ran without looking back, fled in fear for our lives. We’ve been hiding ever since. Until this morning when they stormed our safe house. I got my sister out of the window, but didn’t make it out myself before that big goon over there got me. He dragged me here and I managed to get lose and I ran, but they caught up to me, and then you came out into the garden...”

Shit! What a story... Poor kids! What the Hell is Chris doing? Is he killing innocent kids now too? My eyes burn from the pain and the tears. I was wrong. He really _is_ evil. And I let him touch me. I just let him kiss me... My heart aches.

“Bryan” I snap loudly and turn towards him, “unlock the cell.”

Bryan smiles hard at me.

“Boss’ orders, female, the traitor can’t leave her cell” he answers arrogantly and I stare back at him with the same amount of arrogance and a half smile.

“Oh don’t worry, _male_ , she’s not going anywhere. It’s me who’s going _into_ the cell” I reply. Bryan looks confused.

“Open the cell, let me into it and then lock it again” I say, pointing to the lock on the door, “and when you’ve locked both of us in, you can run back to you murderous boss and tell him where I am. Oh and remember how Chris reacted the last time I asked you to do something and you refused.”

Bryans looks at me for a long time, but I am determined. James has left, he can’t stop me either. Bryan steps forward and pulls out a set of keys.

“He’s not going to like this...” he mumbles as he unlocks the door to the cell and lets me in. I keep my eyes on Bryan, as I reach behind me and grab Megan’s hand. She grasps it hard and together we see Bryan lock the door again, back down the corridor and turn away. For a brief moment the dungeon is completely silent. I turn around and sink down to the hard stone floor next to Megan.

“I didn’t know he was so evil... and I let him...” I whisper horrified and lower my head to my knees. Megan’s warm hand touches my hair.

“It’s not your fault” she replies and lets her hand strokes down my long curls.

“You know, I’ve heard rumours about this human woman captured by Ozera in a crazy attempt to get Dragan to back him.”

I lift my eyes to hers. Seriously? She’s heard about me? Megan shakes her head with a half smile.

“But you are not human, Arya. I felt it the first time I touched you.

I pull my head away from her and my hair falls out of her grasp.

“Of course I’m human. I’ve always been human” I snap bitchy and see the pity take form in Megan’s beautiful eyes. Pity?

“Arya.. You were so young, you can’t possibly remember me. But I remember you. When I touched you just now, I felt the same joy as I did the first time I touched you; when you were an infant.”

I stare at her, not understanding anything. She knew me when I was a baby? What? How? When? Megan sighs and reaches out for my hand. I let her take it.

“You don’t even know, do you? You have no idea who you are, where you come from, who you parents were?” Megan whispers horrified and I shake my head.

“I... I know who I am. My parents were good people. My mom was a nurse, my dad a mechanic. We lived in a house with red tiles until they... died in the accident with my brother when I was young. They were humans. I am human” I reply, the last sentence barely a whisper. Megan’ sad eyes are determined.

“Oh Aryanne...” she whispers and grabs both my hands, “you are not human. You are like me.”

Aryanne?

“My name is Arya” I mumble while I let Megan’s words register and the second I hear the two names said after each other something clicks into place. No. It can’t be true. I would know if I was anything else but human. While my mind tries to process this information, we hear footsteps from down the corridor. They become louder and Chris’ huge body steps out of the shadows just as Megan and I get on our feet. James is right behind Chris. He hands Megan a shirt between the bars and she quickly pulls it over her head. It’s way too big for her but she looks kinda cute in it.

“What’s going on here?” Chris asks as he tightens his jaw and stares at Megan for a long time. Then his eyes seek mine.

“Arya?”

“Don’t you know either? Who Arya really is?” Megan snaps, as she steps forward and Chris growls hard at her.

“Stay out of this, female” he growls at Megan, but his eyes are on me. There is no surprise, no curiosity to find in them. Only anger and annoyance.

“Chris?” I ask horrified and shake my head in denial. Chris’ eyes shift to sad and... knowing.

“You know...” I whisper and put my arms around myself, as I step back. My eyes get warm and wet. He knows. I briefly recall our kiss in the garden where Chris called me ‘ _female_ ’. Not girl or woman. _Female_. He’s been calling me female all along. He knows who I am... But how does he even know..? How long has he known? And how... how am I not human? How is that even possible?

“Who am I?” I ask with a broken voice and Chris’ eyes turn hard and serious.

“Come with me” he replies and reaches out a large hand for me, but I step back further into the cell as I stare at him through the bars with tears in my eyes.

“No, just tell me” I reply in a whisper and Chris steps forward as if the bars weren’t there.

“Tell me who I am!” I scream at him and Megan jerks in surprise. This is a private moment and she probably wishes she was miles away, as she stays quiet next to me. Chris’ jaw tightens as he stares at me.

“Do you remember what I told you about your scent the first time we met?” he asks calmly and I nod in confusion.

“I was wrong. You smelled of human because you’ve been living your whole life as one, because you’ve seen yourself as one not knowing what you really are. That’s why your scent was off – not because one of your ancestors was one of us or because you’re half-blooded. But because _you_ are a full-blooded female.”

I sink hard, as the first tear leaves my eyes. No... I shut my eyes hard.

“Yes, Arya. It’s true. I didn’t know who you were at the first. But the more time you spend here, the more you started to lose that human smell. And your visit to the bathroom last night had me wondering even more. If you really were pregnant, you couldn’t be nauseated so soon. Not if you were part human. And I can’t smell any human in you now. All I smell is female. So I had someone look into your background.”

He quickly glances at Megan and then at me again.

“Are you sure you want to do this here? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable inside the warmth of the mansion?”

“I like that there is locked steel bars between you and me right now” I reply hurt and shaking. I want to hurt him back. And I am. Chris’ eyes flicker for a second before they become hard again.

“As you wish, Arya” he replies and continues: “You were born into a powerful The Others family. You’re named Aryanne. Your parents, Odrian and Annabelle were – as one of the original families – strong fighters for our cause. They fought with my dad. I knew them when I was a kid. They were good people. Your house was attacked during a family-dinner when you were just a toddler and you parents managed to save both you and your baby brother, but they couldn’t save themselves. Your parents died protecting you. Protecting all of us. Those damned Resistance-fighters thought you were killed with your parents, even though they never found any of your bodies. Your adoptive parents, the humans, never knew who or what you were. They thought you were two orphan human children and took you in. Their death was an accident. But that you survived – that your brother did – it was only because of your Others-genes. Everyone else would have been killed at the –“

“Wait, what?” I interrupt surprised and straighten, “my brother? My brother died that day in the fire when the car blew up. I saw his face in the flames as I unlocked my seatbelt; as I cried out his name. My brother is dead. Alexander is dead.”

Chris stares knowingly at me.

“No, Arya, your brother is not dead. He survived just like you did.”

The world around me falls apart. My knees buckles and I sink down on the hard floor. Chris is fast as he unlocks the cell in the same second as my knees hit the concrete floor. He kneels before me and grabs my shoulders.

“Arya?” he whispers pleadingly and his eyes seek mine, but I keep my head bend. This is too much... too much information, too many feelings, too little time to progress...

“Who... knows...?” I whisper insecure, but feel Chris shake his head.

“No one knows yet. Not even Dragan. He took you and fell in love with you without knowing who you are” Chris replies and tightens his grip on my shoulders. ‘ _Just as I did_ ’. The words hang between us, unspoken but still felt. Did he really?

“Arya, look at me.”

Chris’ tone is hard and commanding. Pleading. I have no choice but to obey and slowly lift my tear-shining eyes. Chris’ huge body jerks as our eyes meet and his hard eyes become gentler and more compassionate.

“ _Arya_ ” he whispers softly and I can feel that he is about to pull me into his arms, when the sound of footsteps echoes down the corridor. Chris pulls both of us up and has just pushed me behind him, when Dragan appears in front of the cell.

“Arya?!” he calls and his eyes seek me. His attitude becomes hard and angry, when he discovers me hidden behind Chris.

“I told you not to touch her!” he growls at Chris and the air is charged with his rage.

“She asked me to come” Chris replies arrogantly with clenched hands and Dragan growls angrily as a reply, while his position shifts to attack. The whole basement is filled with testosterone and the fight is in the air, just second away. No. They can’t fight. I can’t deal with this right now. I can’t deal with anything right now. But how do I get them to stop?

“Chris” I whisper pleadingly and his head slowly turns towards me, when I demand his attention by gently tugging his clenched fist in my hands. My eyes get wet as those steel grey eyes find mine. I see the love so clearly now. He really _does_ care for me. I was right about the kiss. His steel grey eyes seem to tell me that he will obey my every command. The hard and powerful male is subjugated by _me_ now.

“Please leave” I ask and see the surprise and the fight – and the surrender – in Chris’ hard stare. He cannot resist my gentle request – it’s not even a command – and slowly his head nods as his body becomes harder. He grabs my hands and stares intensely at me. Those eyes seem to tell me what he will protect me against everything and anyone, even himself, and I can physically see the pain I cause him by asking him to leave me.

“I know” I whisper as a reply to his unspoken words and the surprise makes his eyes wide. ‘ _Later’_. I let the word hang unspoken between us.

“Go now” I press and let his hand go, while I turn towards Megan who’s slowly and silently moving towards the open cell door.

“Stay” I whisper to her and the word is pleading, but she reacts as if it were a command, as she slowly bends her neck and nods once.

“Arya?” Dragan asks wondering. He has realised that this is about more than just Chris and his anger for him is cooled a bit. Chris steps out of the cell and looks hard at Dragan, before he leaves without glancing back at me or anyone else. Alright, next male.

“Dragan” I whisper and a second later he is by my side and has pulled me into his arms. My whole body is shaking. Dragan's hold on me is demanding and protective, and he puts his nose down to my hair as he inhales deeply.

“You’re okay” he whispers gently, but I shake my head. I need to get him to leave too. But he won’t obey me like Chris just did. Will he?

“No, D, I’m not okay...” I reply shaken and Dragan’s eyes get worried.

“What happened?” he asks seriously as if he wants to protect me against any danger that makes me not okay. His eyes drop to my belly but I shake my head quickly.

“I’m fine. We’re fine. Physically, I’m fine” I reply and see relief in Dragan’s dark eyes.

“But you have to leave too.”

I whisper my prayer to him and he shows genuine surprise as he tightens his arms around me.

“What? No way, I’m not leaving you again” he says hard and his eyes flicker to Megan. I pull back and lay my hands on his face, which forces his attention down to me.

“You have to. I need to talk to Megan. Alone. Please give me this” I ask and see the same fight in Dragan’s eyes as I saw in Chris’; the battle between wanting to protect me and wanting to respect my request.

“Dragan, please.”

He surrenders. I have no idea why he surrenders, but he does. It’s like I have the power over both males right now. And to be honest? It scares the shit out of me.

“I’ll wait for you at the bottom of the stairs” he says hard and pulls my head up to his, so his lips can kiss me hard and demanding. I don’t get a chance to object before the kiss is over. Dragan lets me go and disappears from sight. I lean back against the cold stonewall and exhales slowly, while I close my eyes.

“I know you must be freaking out about all this. And I know this is hard for you to accept, it kinda is for me too, but Ozera is _right_ about this” Megan says slowly and I look over at her.

“I know he’s right. I can feel the truth in my heart. None of it makes sense in my head... But my heart... my heart recognises everything. It’s like I’ve always had an empty void in my life and it’s finally being filled. It suddenly makes sense. Everything is suddenly so clear” I whisper and Megan’s eyes soften.

“Tell me what you know about my family.”

Megan nods.

“You are Aryanne Hathaway. Your parents were indeed Odrian and Annabelle. Chris’ father, Christopher Ozera Sr. fought for The Others side by side with your parents. And mine too. I met you all when I was five years old at a fundraiser, where my parents attended to honour the original families. You were just a toddler, your brother a newborn. It was at this gathering that my fate was decided. Your brother and I... we were betrothed that day. Our families wanted to stand strong together and what better way to ensure the other families’ loyalty than to marry your children to them?”

Megan’s eyes flicker to me for a second, as the memories become too much. She takes a deep breath and continues:

“A few years later, when my parents, who were away without my sister and me, were killed at the same dinner that your parents were, I swore that the same thing would never happen to my sister and I. We joined The Resistance movement to try to put an end to the fighting, the killings... I went against everything I had been taught to believe in, against my parent’s wish for my future, but the most important thing for me was to protect my baby sis. We have been fighting against Ozera for so many years, but this is truly the first time I hear that you and your brother are alive. We all thought you had died, maybe even killed by your own to try to raise the people’s hate against The Resistance. It was them... us... who killed your parents. And mine.”

Megan exhales deeply.

“So you’re telling me that my family was... that I am... a part of Chris’ fraction? I’m on his side?”

Megan nods heavily.

“So Dragan... he’s my enemy?” I whisper incomprehensibly and Megan nods heavily again.

“Dragan is our strongest ally. Without him The Resistance probably wouldn’t even exist anymore. If what I’ve seen today means that he’s changed side, joined Ozera and his so-called patriots...”

Megan shakes her head.

“It will crush our entire organisation.”

She closes her eyes.

“And it’s all my fault” I whisper into the cold air, but Megan reacts.

“No, Arya, none of this is your fault.”

She crawls over to me and grabs my hands.

“You didn’t know any of this. You are innocent and cannot be held accountable for neither your parents’ nor Dragan’s nor Ozera’s actions.”

I shake my head in disbelief.

“I can’t believe I’m not human. I just can’t believe it even though I know it’s true” I whisper and Megan hugs my hands in her own.

“Maybe... you should talk to someone who knows more than me? Maybe you should talk to Ozera?” she says knowingly and I look at her in despair. Seriously? Talking to Chris is that last thing I want to do right know. But I know that she’s right. How do I even get past Dragan? He will never allow me to be alone with Chris again. If only I could get to Chris first. Then Dragan would not be able to keep me from talking to him, he would not be able to get me back to him. Because Chris would protect me if I asked him to. Wouldn’t he?

“I will help you” Megan says fiercely and I stare into her brown eyes. She is serious. She is really going to help me – her enemy – against Dragan, her hero. Maybe because I saved her life?

“I’ll go to Dragan and tell him that I need to be alone for a while. He cannot deny me this. If you can find Chris and tell him that I want to talk to him?” I ask Megan and she nods seriously. Am I making a mistake by sending Megan to find Chris? Am I risking her life? No. Chris won’t hurt her. He’s promised me she’d be safe. But what if she meets someone else before Chris – like Bryan? This could end badly. But I need to talk to Chris.

*

Megan and I walk together down the corridor, and when we get to Dragan, he turns towards us and his eyes seek mine. That dark stare seems to look right through me and I have to lower my eyes, when we finally reach him.

“Go” I say to Megan who nods once before disappearing up the stony stairs and out of sight, out into the cold evening air still only wearing her shorts and James’ huge shirt. Dragan quickly embraces me and it feels like a betrayal to be in his arms again. But how can I be betraying Chris when I’m not even his? And Megan is right. I need to know more; I need to know everything. I _need_ to talk to Chris again.

“D...” I start to whisper, but Dragan pulls my head up to his own as his lips demandingly cover mine. I do not pull away, even though that’s the only thing I want to do. How can I let this male kiss me after everything I’ve let Chris do to me? And when all I feel is Chris’ lips against mine? Dragan grabs my hand and leads me up the stairs, into the ice cold evening air.

“I need to leave” Dragan says hard and slowly he releases his hold on my hand.

“Chris has put me to a test. I need to do this to prove my loyalty and to protect you.”

“A test?” I mumble, but Dragan just shakes his head.

“It’s best if you don’t know too much.”

Right. This again. But how can I blame him for keeping secrets for me when I’m keeping secrets for him too? I nod heavily. Besides, this is too much of a lucky convergence to be a coincidence. Chris has put him to a test away from the compound? Away from me? Chris is up to something.

“I’ll go up to the room and lie down. It’s been a very long day and I could use some rest” I say weakly and Dragan nods.

“Good idea. I’ll have James keep you safe.”

I nod again.

“Because he has protected her _so well_ in the past” someone says and we both turn towards the voice. I don’t recognise the male coming at us, but Dragan clearly does. He growls angrily and pulls me in close. This is wrong. I shouldn’t be _here_. The male chuckles low. His eyes focus on me and they seem to shine with intensity.

“My my, so this is the lovely _Arya_. If I weren’t looking at you right now, I would not have believed the rumours. But here you are.”

Something in those words makes my body stiffen with uneasiness. Does he know too? What I am? Who I am? Shit. Chris said no one knew!

“And who are you?” I ask to turn the attention away from me, and it’s working. Dragan throws out a hand towards the male.

“Arya, this is Yulian Ozera, one of my father’s cousins” Dragan growls as he pulls me in closer. I push my chin up as I stare at Yulian and let him offer me his hand. I hold out my own, but he doesn’t shake it as I expect; he falls to his knees and kisses the back of my hand, while he mumbles something in their language. Okay, déjà-vu much? I have no idea what he’s saying to me, just as I still don’t know what James said to me that day he did the same thing, but it actually sounds respectful. The male is older than me, maybe in his forties but he looks a bit younger actually. He’s tall with dark brown hair and light brown eyes. Then he stands up and looks down at me with an intense stare.

“Don’t you worry, Chozny, I’ll keep Arya safe. A female like her should not be put in the hands of someone like Belaruz. No, she’s too important for that” Yulian says and Dragan seems to consider this. Something tells me that I can trust this male, this Yulian Ozera who’s one of Chris’ uncles too, but I don’t know why I feel this way. Shouldn’t I feel safer with familiar James, even though he’s failed to protect me several times now – and _not_ feel safe with a complete stranger, an Ozera at that too?

“It’s alright, D” I mumble and pull out of Dragan’s arms, surprising everyone, including myself.

“I’ll be fine. I’m safe here. Just go.”

“I don’t like this” Dragan growls low, but he grabs my face again and gives me one last kiss on the forehead, before turning around and he walks away from me and Yulian without looking back.

“Aryanne Hathaway.”

I look over at Yulian in surprise. He _does_ know! Yulian smiles widely.

“Yes, I know. I am the one who found out when Christopher asked me to do a little digging in the past. You look so much like your mother.”

My eyes get wet. I don’t even know why. I didn’t know this mother Yulian is talking about, so why do I feel such sorrow over someone comparing me to her?

“I’ve been looking for you, _backa_.”

A new male voice makes both of us turn towards it. A young male is coming at us; he’s probably only a few years younger than me, but clearly of The Others race. His smile is a smirk and he keeps his light brown eyes on me, as he approaches us. Yulian turns to me and gestures towards the male.

“Aryanne, this is Roman Ozera, my son. Roman, this is Aryanne Hathaway.”

I kick my chin up again, still not wanting to look weak and this Roman-kid takes my hand in his and shakes it a bit. Yulian choughs and gestures towards me.

“Show her some respect, Roman. He’s a Hathaway and Christopher’s –“

He stops himself and I see a faint blush appear on his cheeks. I’m Chris’ what? Roman smiles widely as he lowers himself to one knee in front of me and grabs my hands. Words are spoken, kiss is being given and then he’s up on his feet again. What are they doing this for, anyway?

“What was that, _backa_? She’s Christopher’s what? _Whore_?” Roman asks with a smirk.

“Roman!” Yulian exclaims angry and startled, but Roman ignores him completely.

 _“Excuse me?”_ I snap at him, crossing my arms over my chest.

“I heard you let Chris kiss you to save that Resistance-traitor’s life” Roman grins at me. I blink in surprise. Where the fuck did he hear that? It was like an hour ago?! Morten. It can only be Morten, that little snitch.

“You’re wrong, _kid_. I let Chris kiss me because I wanted him to kiss ne. Not because I’m his _whore_ or because he paid me like a whore or because he forced me to do so. I kissed him because I wanted to kiss him and have him kiss me. Do not mistake that for anything else.”

I push my chin up again. All my defences are up and working perfectly. No way in Hell am I going to show any kind of weakness to these males. Roman chuckles.

“So what, you’re playing with both my cousins, then? Weren’t you with Dragan before you came here and now you’re kissing Chris? Sounds a bit slutty to me.”

Shit. What do I say to that?

“Why should I care what you think of me? I don’t answer to you or anyone else. I answer to Chris only and if you’ve got a problem with that, I suggest you take it up with him. Oh and I should warn you about that; Chris is kinda protective of me so you might want to chose your words more carefully. Calling me a slut or a whore in front of him would probably make you a head shorter but hey, that’s your head.”

I spin on my heels and start walking towards the mansion again. My whole body is shaking with adrenaline but I won’t show my fear to anyone. I don’t even know where that snarky comeback came from or where I found those words, but they weren’t a lie. I think. They felt right. It felt right saying them. I feel a presence behind me and as I look over my shoulder, both males are following me into the mansion. Roman still has that stupid smirk on his face and Yulian looks like he is about to explode with anger.

They both follow me through the mansion and up to the bedroom floor. I quickly decide not to use the bedroom Dragan had me in earlier, so I choose another random one that happens to be empty. The two males let me go in to it alone, but as Yulian closes the door, I can see this asshole named Roman Ozera standing in the hallway like a bodyguard. I sigh heavily and sit on the edge of the bed, before letting my body fall backwards. My head is buzzing with information and thoughts, and the feelings are flying through my body while I feel those feather-like touches inside my belly. A baby... shit. I’m having a baby. Dragan’s baby. I fall asleep with the thoughts of a beautiful baby girl with big, blonde curls and green eyes.


	15. Denial; expert level

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

I am half asleep when I feel the bed move and in a dreamy haze I roll over on my side. Something huge and warm has placed itself on the bed next to me and I let my body snuggle into and around the warmth, while I put my nose into the scent of it. I sink into that warmth and almost fall asleep again, while a strong, hard arm sneaks around my shoulders. The feeling of safety washes over me. But something is off. The warmth is big body with a dark, masculine scent... I wake up startled. I immediately pull back and almost jump backwards out of bed while I scream in surprise.

“That was a nice moment” Chris mumbles with a half smile and I pull further away from the bed, while trying to get my pulse to slow down again.

“You tricked me on purpose” I whisper accusingly, still high on the adrenaline that woke me. The warmth flushes through my body when it remembers how it felt to snuggle into Chris’ warm scent and feel his strong arm protectively around me. I blush at the thought. Chris smiles widely. He quickly stands up and approaches me with smooth movements. Like a large panther sneaking in on its prey.

“Can you blame me?” he smiles, as he comes nearer and I pull further back. Until I hit the wall behind me. Déjà-vu. Again. Shit. Chris chuckles briefly, but stops right in front of me. He is so close, that all I have to do is lift my hand and I can touch his huge body. I can feel his breath against my face and the warmth from his body is pulsing at me. My pulse rises dangerously fast. Chris places both hands against the wall on each side of my head and bends his neck a bit. Those steel grey eyes hold mine.

“If I am to overlook the fact that you let one of my prisoners out of her cell without my permission... and that you _forced_ me to leave you behind unprotected in a weak moment... Your friend said you wanted to see me?” he asks cheery, but there is a dark undertone to his voice and he expects me to answer him truthfully. I nod shortly, but have forgotten everything I wanted to ask. His presence is making me dizzy, like his eyes have hypnotised me. I lift my hands and place them on his hard chest to push him away, but the feeling of his warm body under my palms makes my breath fasten.

“I can smell your lust for me, Arya... Trick or no trick; your body wants me” Chris whispers and lowers his head to mine. So close... He takes a deep breath as he smells my hair. Then his hands grab my wrists hard. My body jerks and my blood boils. ‘Take me...’ I beg silently with my eyes and those grey eyes shine with triumph and lust and power. Then I see him control the lust.

“But that’s not why you wanted to see me. Tell me what you want from me.”

He lets me go and takes a step back. The cold air hits me like a lightning bolt from a clear sky and my reason returns. What the Hell am I doing?!

“Megan” I choke out and breathe deep to get my voice to work again, “my... _friend_... she told me about my parents. About your father. About your fraction.”

Chris nods confirming. I take another deep breath.

“She told me about a school and some children?” I ask insecure. Chris’ grey eyes hold mine.

“Are you sure you want to hear this?” Chris asks seriously. I nod quietly. Chris’ mouth is pressed tightly, but he nods nevertheless.

“As you wish, Arya. Your new _síabar_ has probably told you a different version of that episode, but I will try to be a truthful in my telling as I can. There were rumours about someone having learnt the truth about some of the children at the school not being like everyone else. Our race haven’t mixed with humans in centuries, mostly because our children grows differently than the humans’, but over the years that has changed and we have become more integrated into the human society. Megan’s sister, Catania, is the teacher at one of the schools who teaches both races, even though very few knows about it, but if someone were to learn the truth, it could end catastrophically. So I chose to separate the humans from the Others, solely to protect our children. Humans have throughout history proven to be far too insecure about everything different or new, and what would they do to them if they learned about children who were different? Who were growing faster and becoming a lot stronger than their own? Experiment on them to see the differences? To try to exploit our genes to enhance their own? No, I couldn’t let that happen.”

Chris maintains my gaze, as his words seek in. Does it make sense? Surprisingly it does. I look intensely at him. Chris as the protector of children? Just the thought stands in clear contrast to the last few days, but come to think of it, not really. He’s done nothing but protect _me_ , so why not children too?

“But Megan mentioned there were fights and people were captured by _you_. How do you justify that?”

Chris sighs deeply as he runs a hand through his hair and looks down at me with frustration.

“I’m not perfect, Arya. Those Resistance people are not giving up without a fight. And I can’t let anyone get hurt on my watch. So I have to fight back. I have to show a display of strength to establish my power. But I wouldn’t be forced to if your _síabar_ and her comrades weren’t fighting me on every damn decision I make.”

I am desperately trying to make sense of all this, but one thing stands out more clearly than everything else. Something Chris said in that cellar.

“Megan didn’t know we were alive. Alexander and I. But you did. You told me that he’s alive...”

My voice breaks as the tears form, but I hold me head high as well as my hopes.

“Do you know where he is?”

Chris slowly shakes his head. The disappointment washes through me. My eyes flood over.

“No. I helped him years ago but haven’t kept track of him since. But I can find out for you” Chris says and my eyes lift to his. Relief overtakes my heart, but my reason will not be fooled.

“For a price, I guess? Like when I begged you to spare Megan’s life” I reply with a raised eyebrow and lean back against the wall. Chris’ eyes glow at me. I know what his price is; _me_.

“ _’Begged’_ is hardly the word, is it? Isn’t ‘asked’ more right? You _asked_ me to spare her life and then you kissed me to pay for your request? Isn’t that what happened?”

“Chris...” I whisper weakly, “you can’t ask me to pay you with myself.”

His hard stare tells me that that is exactly what he’s doing. But I can’t keep trading myself to save everyone else. Chris reaches out for me, but I pull away.

“Dammit, Arya...” he whispers and I look up at him with my wet eyes. Chris stares at me in agony. My heart aches by the sight of his pain. Those grey eyes glow from insecurity.

“You need to stop doing this, female” he growls at me as his hands runs through his hair in frustration, but his insecure anger is a warm heat radiating towards me.

“Do what?” I whisper silently. What does he mean? What is it I’m doing? He is the one who wants me to pay him with myself! Suddenly he reaches for me again and this time I’m not getting away. His huge hand grabs my arm and he pulls me into him as he grabs my other arm too. His grip is hard and dominant.

“Assume that I’ll play the good male because it’s _you_ who’s asking” he growls at me, as his grip on my arms tightens. I’m not getting away this time. I can see the determination in those steel grey eyes and Chris’ powerful body is almost shaking with his lust for me.

“I’m sorry” I whisper calmly feeling my eyes fill with tears. I am sorry. Because that is exactly what I am doing. I’m playing on his whatever-it-is for me to get my way and it’s been working so far. But right now I’m not sure if I can do it again. It feels like the stakes are higher than before.

“What is it you’re doing to me, _female_?” he mumbles before his lips find mine in a hard and demanding kiss. I am lost. I have no will to fight against him and I let my body sink into Chris’ hard and receiving embrace, while his tongue invades my mouth.

“ _Mine_...” he mumbles into my mouth, as his hands discovers bare skin on my body

”Right from the beginning... you were mine... you’ve always been mine... _only mine.”_

His words make no sense at all to me, but sense and logic have no control right now. In this moment I am controlled by the lust and Chris’ power over me overshadows every bit of reason I might have under normal circumstances. Even thoughts of Dragan or Megan or my brother have vanished from my head. Chris is all I can think about and he is everywhere. He _is_ everything. This is not me giving myself as a payment for something; this is me surrendering myself to him. Chris pushes me up against the wall and presses his body tightly against mine. His hard body crushes my soft curves and I can feel his hard erection throb against the bottom of my baby-bump. The feeling of his masculine, hard body sends waves of lust through me. My knees buckles, but Chris holds me up against the wall. He pulls my dress up in two long pulls and a second later his fingers have found their way into my heat. I moan warmly into his mouth, as my body accepts everything he does to me. And it reacts to his lust. I am on fire. My insides feel like someone has set them on fire. And Chris is the fire.

“ _Chris...”_ I whisper tortured and Chris lets his fingers enter me deeper. Harder. I grab his wide shoulders and cling to him, as he bends his knees to be able to better reach down between my legs. The fire is blazing through me. I burry my face in the spot between his neck and shoulder. His dark, masculine scent fills all my senses. I press my lips hard against that soft, warm skin and my fingers grab the T-shirt that’s tightly fitting his broad shoulders. I hug the fabric so hard in my hands, that my knuckles become white and my fingers start to protest in pain, all while I cling to his huge body. Shit. This is a sensory overload. I let my teeth sink into his warm, hard skin in frustration. How can skin feel like fire on my tongue? Chris is everything and my body is almost bursting into flames from unreleased orgasm.

“Cum for me” Chris growls hard into my hair and my body obeys his command. I burst into flames and feel every muscle in my abdomen tighten while being on fire. It runs down my thighs with wetness. I cling harder to Chris, while the orgasm slowly fades and he keeps his fingers calm, though still buried deep inside me. My knees buckle again, but Chris is faster than gravity as he quickly scoops me up into his arms and carries me to the bed. He lies us both down on it; me on my back, him on his side next to me, so close that our bodies touch from knee to shoulder. His cock is throbbing against my thigh but he’s not making any moves to have sex with me. My thoughts slowly make sense again. So I came but he didn’t and it doesn’t seem like he is. My eyes get wet. Why am I crying?

“That’s the third time I’ve made you cum, Arya... I don’t usually get tears as thank you for orgasms” Chris mumbles down to me and his thick thumb slowly wipes away the salty tear from my chin. He leans down to me and I feel his warm lips against my forehead.

“Chris...” I whisper crying as I close my eyes hard.

“Schh Arya, it’s okay, I’m here” Chris mumbles and I feel his huge hand carefully stroke over my hair. How can this brutal, dangerous male be so gentle with me? The silence is deafening and I close my eyes, as Chris mumbles something that sounds like ‘I wasn’t ready for you’. His words are so low that they probably aren’t meant for me to hear, because if they were, he would have spoken louder. I don’t ask him to repeat it, because another thought overtakes me and I remember his words from earlier.

“What did you mean when you said that I was yours? That I’ve always been yours?” I ask and uneasiness spreads through my body. It’s like my body is trying to remember something my brain doesn’t know what it.

“You shouldn’t have heard that...” Chris mumbles deflecting.

“Chris” I say firmly, but he ignores me. I try again.

“ _Chris_. I am not yours. Even if you keep trying to trick me into being with you, you know I can’t. You yourself pushed me into Dragan’s arms.”

Chris doesn’t reply, so I move a bit away from him, as I try to catch those grey eyes staring straight up at the ceiling. His mouth is a tight line.

“ _Chris_ ” I whisper pleadingly and his body jerks, “This thing we’re doing... you and me... whatever it is. It has to stop. You know Dragan will never let me go. You can’t keep expecting me to be with you to save someone’s life, to make you do something for me... And whatever it is you feel for me... It doesn’t matter. Dragan will never let me go.”

I don’t even know who I’m trying to convince; him or myself. Chris’ body jerks again and he’s up on his feet in no time. He stares down at me.

“You’ve got _no idea_ about what I feel for you” he snaps hard.

“And you’re wrong, female. You _are_ mine. You’ve _always_ been mine” he growls angry. I get up awkwardly and pull my dress down again.

“Dammit Chris! How can you expect me to be yours after everything you’ve done?! You are an evil man, male, whatever. You’re no better than he is, for fuck sake! I can’t be yours. I don’t _want_ to be yours!” I yell at him, while the tears pour down my cheeks. Chris takes a deep breath and I feel his anger lessen a bit.

“Why did you defend us then?” he growls hard. I stare at him in bewilderment.

“What?”

“Earlier today. You defended us twice. First to Morten and then to Roman and his dad. They both questioned the kiss in the garden, but you defended us. You defended _me_ , Arya. You told them that you only answer to me, that you kissed me because you _wanted_ to – not because I forced you. Why the fuck would you tell them that if you don’t want to be with me?”

“I lied!” I yell at him, while my body begins to shake.

“I lied to them because I didn’t want anyone to know that I only kissed you to save Megan’s life!”

Chris stares angrily at me, intensely and for a long while, before he leaves the room without further words or explanations. For a brief second I wonder where Yulian and Roman might be, but when it comes to Chris, I guess I’m not surprised that he’s had them lured away somehow. He _is_ an Ozera, after all. So are they. I fall back onto the bed. My body still hums from the orgasm and I can feel my thighs stick to each other. What the Hell am I doing? Why am I fighting him when I don’t want to? Chris brings out so many emotions in me, that I’m dizzy from feeling everything at once. What is this power Chris has over me? My body reacts to everything he does to it; I melt like butter in his arms. With Dragan it’s an overwhelming wave of his romantic and possessive feelings for me that I am forced to accept, but with Chris is like a force of nature I can’t control myself; an animalistic attraction. Being in his arms is as natural as breathing. I _didn’t_ lie to Roman and Yulian. Or to Morten. I _did_ want to be kissed by Chris. Shit. I want to kiss him _again_. His lips are basically all I can think about. How can I get out of this dramatic threesome I’ve been sucked into? My head is telling me that I have to choose between Dragan and Chris, but my heart already knows the answer. That I already know whom I belong to. That there is only one male who’s been allowed to take me since my heart discovered the truth. I just won’t admit it to myself. And even when I do; how do I get the other male to let me go?

*

I’m almost asleep when a knock on the door wakes me up. I sit up straight and look at the door. Shit. Is it Chris? Or Dragan? I’m not sure I can handle either of them right now. I jump off the bed and slowly walk to the door.

“Who is it?” I ask forcefully, even though my heart is beating hard in fear.

“Roman Ozera” a muffled voice answers. Oh I am _so_ not in the mood for him either.

“Go away” I snap, but Roman just laughs at me.

“Open the door, female.”

“No.”

The laughter dies.

“Open the door, Hathaway.”

That is an order. I sink hard, but before I can reply, the door is kicked open, the lock bursting from the hard blow.

“What the...-“ I begin, but Roman ignores me and walks straight into the bedroom. I pull back from him, but he just keeps on coming at me.

“Do not touch me” I growl hard. Roman laughs at me.

“Why would I do that? You’re Chris’ female. I would never force a female to _that._ And you’re not exactly my type, so don’t worry. Anyway, I need your help.”

“My _what_?”

I stare at him baffled

”Do you honestly think that _I_ am going to help _you_?”

”Come on, Hathaway. You’re not still angry with me about earlier? It’s water under the bridge, as far as I’m concerned.”

I raise an arrogant eyebrow at him to challenge that. He smirks at me.

“Besides, I’m not really giving you a choice.”

With that, he reaches out for me and grabs my wrist. I try to twist free, but even this large kid is too strong for me to fight off.

“Let me go!” I scream, hoping someone will hear me. ‘Someone’ being Chris or Dragan or James or anyone else willing to defend me against this goon. Nope, no one comes to my aid. I am dragged out of the bedroom Dragan chose by Roman and down the hallway without meeting anyone. He drags me down the stairs and into the living room which is empty because it’s the middle of the night and everyone is probably sleeping. Then he opens the door into the office and shoves me into it. Shit. The office is dark, only illuminated by the light pouring in through the open door. Chris is sleeping on the large couch; his legs too long for it despite its size and his arms are hugging a pillow under his head. He snores peacefully and he actually _looks_ peacefully. His upper body is bare and hard, but he’s still wearing the jeans from earlier.

“Wake him up” Roman growls into my ear and pushes me forward.

“Seriously?” I ask as I look over my shoulder at Roman and then back down at Chris. No, I’m not waking him up, last night taken into consideration. I am not going to -

“Get on with it, female. Unless you want me to do it, but I suspect he’d appreciate to wake up to your pretty face rather than mine.”

I sink hard. Shit. Am I really doing this? I list over to the couch and lean down over Chris. Shit. He’s so goddamned handsome.

“Chris?” I whisper gently and the second the word has left my lips, a gun is pressed against my forehead. I gasp in surprise, my hand quickly covering my mouth to keep quiet and not shock Chris into accidentally shooting me. Is he seriously sleeping with a gun under his pillow?

“What?” Chris growls with his eyes still shut, but his hand is steady on the gun and his arm doesn’t waver even a little bit.

“Chris, it’s _me_ ” I whisper with tears in my eyes. Chris sits up and those steel grey eyes focus on me. He seems to wake up and the gun immediately drops from my head. I sigh in relief.

“That was something” Roman laughs from behind me and then the gun is pointing at him. I gasp in surprise, again. Chris’ free arm reaches out to shove me behind him as he gets up from the couch and puts himself protectively in front of me.

“What do _you_ want?” he growls hard, his whole body shaking with anger directed at Roman. But Roman doesn’t seem to care.

“I thought I should do this in person to both of you and as soon as possible” he says seriously and nods towards me, still hidden behind Chris’ huge body.

“I may have voiced myself a bit unfortunately earlier today when I addressed Miss Hathaway in the garden. I may have voiced some quite unfortunate things regarding her as a female and her … relationship with yourself.”

I blink rapidly, wondering where this is going. Is he seriously about to apologise for calling me a whore? Roman clears his throat. Chris’ body is still tense; he’s not relaxing at all even if this _is_ an apology and not an attack.

“Miss Hathaway” Roman calls and I peak around Chris. Roman smiles at me fondly and it _almost_ looks genuine. If it weren’t for the rude comments earlier or the fact that he’s basically just kidnapped me to go wake up Chris, I might have believed that smile. But I don’t.

“I would like to apologise for my unfortunate comments about you earlier when I insinuated that you had mistrustful intentions towards my ki–“

His eyes flicker to Chris and something tells me he’s cowered by a pair of steel grey eyes, cause his words die and he seems to need to gather himself before continuing.

“- my… ahm… _cousin_. As a part of my family, I will always try to protect him and the family name. I feared that you did not have pure intentions and were perhaps trying to create dissension between us when I heard about your involvement with both my cousins, but I know now that I was gravely mistaken. I should not have listened to the rumours. Please accept my deepest apology and allow me to try to make it up to you again.”

No. Way. Is he being serious? I step out from Chris’ protection and lay a soft hand on Chris’ arm. Chris barely glances down at me, but I feel his attention shift to me.

“Fine. I accept your apology” I say loudly and Roman’s face lights up with triumph. Whether it’s because he thinks he’s convinced me or because he’s getting his way I have no idea, but it doesn’t matter. I just want to get out of this situation as fast as possible. Being so close to Chris after how we ended things earlier is making my heart pump hard, my head feel dizzy and my heart ache.

“ _Arya_.”

My name on Chris’ lips is both a blessing and a curse right now. His tone is hard and commanding.

“Go back to the bedroom. Lock the door. I will come see you later.”

I nod in understanding and move a bit, but then I remember that I _can’t_ lock the door because Roman broke it.

“Actually, Chris, I ca–“ I begin, but those hard eyes fixate on me and I am cowered into silence. No, I am _so_ not going to say anything. I lower my eyes and hurry out the office without looking back at Chris or at Roman even as I pass him to leave. I hurry up the stairs and am about to enter the bedroom to close the door the best I can, when I look down the hallway. I could go to Chris’ bedroom instead. His lock is working fine. And he’s the only one with a key. Not even Dragan could get in to me when I’m there. Without thinking anymore about it, I run down the hallway and lock the door to Chris’ bedroom behind me. I feel… safe. I let my body fall onto the bed and sigh as I feel it sink down into the softness of the madras and the midnight blue bed spread on top.


	16. Accepting the truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

When I wake up, it’s dark outside and I turn groggy to the side to look at the clock. It’s very, very early morning. My stomach roars. I sigh and kick the duvet off. Duvet? How have I gotten a duvet over me? I’m still wearing my underwear and the dress from earlier, but the bed sheet has been removed and is now hanging over a chair. Chris? Has he been in here and tucked me into bed? Without me waking up? No one else has a key so it really can’t have been anyone else. I jump out of bed and try to shake off this feeling of insecurity and... safety. Is it really safety I feel, knowing that _he_ has been in here without me realising it? Isn’t it just creepy as Hell? Bordering stalker-tendencies that he’s looked at me while I slept? Is that really leading to safety-feelings? Has Chris thought about my comfort and tucked me under a duvet? I put my hand on my lower belly and feel a slight bump inside as a response to my touch. The baby... Dragan’s baby. But I let Chris touch me. I crave _Chris_. It seems like the logical explanation is just outside my reach. If only my brain would remember what my body is trying to recognise... but every time I feel close to answer, it slips away and all I feel is confusion and frustration.

I sigh heavily, before moving through the dark and empty mansion, down to the kitchen for food. I am hungry. Starving. It must be a pregnancy thing. I’ve never had this much hunger for food in the middle of the night. But on the other hand, I have been using a lot of extra energy lately with all that sex I’m having. Who knew that something so amazing could be so exhausting?

I’ve just swallowed the last bite of my third sandwich – sandwiches that painfully remind me of the ones Chris made for me – when I hear footsteps from the entree hall. Who can it be at this hour? I don’t want to meet anyone, so I sneak out the back door, out into the garden where I feel the ice cold night air against my warm skin and the frozen grass under my bare feet. The air is quiet and the sky is clear. There is no city light to ruin the still dark night sky and the stars shine so brightly that I can see the Milky Way spread across the night sky. Wow. What a vision. Without thinking, my hands have placed themselves protectively over my belly. My thoughts evolve around _him_. Around everything he does to me. Why do I let him do it? I hear the sound of careful, almost silent steps behind me but stand completely still because my instincts are not warning me of danger. So whoever it is isn’t a threat to me. Then I feel the warmth of that huge male body that’s placed itself right behind me. I have no doubts about who it is. My body instinctively sway back towards the heat.

“Are you very angry with me?” I whisper while keeping my eyes at the beautiful shining stars above us. A pair of strong, warm arms curl around me and goose bumps spread down my arms as I feel that all consuming warmth around my belly and against my back. The baby gives a ‘hard’ kick out against the heat.

“No...” Chris mumbles into my hair. He takes a deep breath. Another.

“I cannot be angry with you.”

I sigh in relief. Until this very moment I wasn’t even aware of how scared I was that Chris was angry with me for what happened earlier; both with the fight we had after the orgasm in the bedroom, but also what happened with Roman in the office. He might have been so angry that he no longer felt anything for me.

“You’re cold” he mumbles as he tightens his arms around me.

“Chris” I whisper, laying my hands on his arms. He is _so_ warm. Like there’s fire under his skin.

“You have to be honest with me.”

He grows deeply and hugs me tighter.

“I have so many questions for you, questions I need you to answer truthfully, without distracting me. How else am I supposed to be able to trust you enough to be with you?”

His body tenses.

“Be with me?” he asks in surprise, “I thought that you didn’t _want_ to be mine. Because I am _evil_ , just like _him_. You made that very clear earlier this evening.”

I shut my eyes hard.

“I was angry; with you, at myself. I didn’t mean what I said” I whisper. We stand in silence for what feels like hours, but it’s probably not more than a minute or two.

“So what has changed?” Chris asks curiously. I open my eyes.

“ _You have_ ” I whisper and turn around in his arms. I look up at those steel grey eyes that seem so dark and intense right now. I try to articulate the thoughts I’ve had roaming in my head for the past few days, the thoughts my heart already knows.

“ _You_ have changed. Your actions, your words... You’re not the same evil male who killed Howard or even the same male who kidnapped me from Dragan’s cabin. You’ve had every chance to hurt me for the last seven days, ‘cause I’ve disobeyed you so many times. But you haven’t touched me, not like that. You’ve kept me safe. Even protected me. I don’t think you’d ever let me get hurt. So you’re not exactly my enemy anymore, are you? You’re not as evil as he is. And I know you feel something for me. I know you have this crazy sexual lust for me that I don’t understand, but I know it’s there.”

I keep staring into those grey eyes as some of the confidence and triumph fades. It’s replaced by... defeat? Yes, defeat and vulnerability.

“If I wasn’t threatening Dragan and everyone around you... if I wasn’t trying to trick you into being with me. If you were free to make your own choice... would you still be with me? Would you still let me touch you like this?”

His warm hands slide up my arms, leaving goose bumps in their wake as their travel up to cub my face. Chris lowers his head towards mine, but stops just before his lips touch mine. He is so close, so damned close, that I can practically _feel_ those soft lips against mine even though they aren’t touching me. My breathing becomes faster and my body heats up. I open my mouth to speak, but no words come out. I can’t even think. Being so close to him is killing all my reason and every thought in my head, so even if I had words to speak, I couldn’t articulate them. Yet, my body is awake and alive as it has never been before. I cannot lie anymore. Not to Chris nor to Dragan, and definitely not to myself. I have desperately tried to hide behind the role as a victim, marking Chris as the bad guy, the kidnapper and rapist, meaning my attraction to him could be hidden behind hate and repulsion. I could then pretend to be forced into being with Chris, against my will and only to protect everyone from harm; only to get something from him. But this is the turning point. My reply right now will define our future relationship and make us either equals or liars.

“So?” he taunts provokingly, letting his hands fall to my shoulders, “would you still let me touch you?”

“Yes” I whisper so silently, that the word isn’t even audible to myself. I clear my throat.

“Yes, I would” I repeat forcefully. One word. One damn word and my whole world fall into place.

“Why?” he asks with hard eyes. Eyes that demand me to speak the truth now and I take a deep breath.

“What you said to me about my reaction when we were standing in the kitchen. My insatiable lust for... _you_. My thoughts that only evolve around you and the things you do to me. Is that just a pregnancy thing for your.. ah our race? ‘Cause in my head you are my enemy. That’s what my reason is screaming to me that you are. You’ve kidnapped me and held me captive for over a week. You’ve killed because of me. My head is screaming for me to get away from you. But my body? My body is screaming for your touch. It’s like fire under my skin and the only relief is... you.”

I whisper the last word and feel my eyes get wet. Again. But all of this makes sense. And looking into Chris’ eyes right now, seeing the love and lust for me so clearly, makes me feel more powerful than ever. This is my choice. I am choosing this. I am not being throw into his arms because of him kidnapping me or forced to be with him to save someone else’s life. If he wants me, I want to be his.

“Arya...” Chris whispers gently and lays his huge hands around my face. I sniffle while I continue because no matter what I want, there’s one thing that’s not changing;

“But I am not free to make my own choice. You know that. Dragan will never let me go. He’ll never-”

Chris’ hands cub my face hard and he lays his forehead against mine shutting me up completely. I close my eyes and feel his mouth on mine. His lips are warm and soft, his tongue wet and flexible. I surrender to him. I almost melt into Chris’ warm and hard body, while I moan into his mouth.

“Who’s there?!”

I jerk in surprise by the shouting. Chris quickly grabs my wrist and drags me through the garden, away from the mansion and the shouting voice. We half-run through the frozen grass and zigzag between bushes and trees until we reach a small lake so far from the mansion, that it’s almost impossible to see in the darkness. A small stone cabin with a wooden door appears next to the frozen lake and Chris pulls me inside. The size of the cabin reminds me of a shed, but there is an old wooden bed shoved into one corner. Next to it is a little nightstand with a lamp and an old, crooked chair, and also a simple stone fireplace. Chris shoves me down to sit on the bed, while he turns around and crouches down in front of the fireplace where he quickly lights a fire. The warm flames catch the dry wood fast and the orange glow dances across his huge body and that bright, soft hair gets a golden, almost flaming colour. Chris gets up and turns to me.

“Arya...”

He eyes sparkle at me.

“If you keep looking at me like that, we won’t be spending our time here talking” he growls deeply and seductively. He words send waves of heat through me, more heat than the flames could ever give me. I look down. Chris pulls the chair out in front of me and sits down. So close, yet so far away. My body aches for him...

“What is it you want to know? What truth do you want me to tell you?” he asks resignedly and runs a frustrated hand through those blonde locks. I see the muscles on his arm tighten from the movement. The glow from the flames makes the black, red and green colours looks like they are dancing across his skin, while the muscles flex under them. Oh my... Then he places his hands on his knees in a waiting position. My thoughts tried to gather themselves. What is it I want to know? I want to know if the baby is Chris’. I want to know how he really feels about me – not just his lust for me, but his _feelings_. I want to know everything he knows about my brother. I want to know more about my family, my biological family and this race. I want to know everything. But first I need to know something about these feelings I have for Chris, which I suspect my body already knows the reason behind.

“You said you’d looked into my background?” I ask and Chris nods.

“And you told me a lot of things about my biological family that Megan confirmed. But I can’t help but feel there is more to it? Is there something you’re not telling me, about my background?”

Chris is petrified as his eyes hold mine.

“Are you sure you want to know everything?” he replies seriously and the doubt goes through me. Am I sure? I think back to that powerful feeling I had standing in Chris’ arms in the middle of the garden. That was the point-of-no-return for me. I cannot go back. I need to see this through. I _want_ to.

“I’m sure” I whisper and nod weakly. Chris sighs.

“Our families were tightly bound, closer than any of the other original families and everyone of them sought a way to strengthen their alliance” Chris starts and I nod.

“Like when Megan was betrothed to my brother” I confirm and Chris’ eyes become serious, while he nods.

“Yes, Arya, but your brother was not the only one your parents promised to marry off.”

He looks pointedly at me. What? Me?! I am betrothed to some stranger from The Others? What does that even mean that I was promised to a complete stranger twenty-some years ago? My parents are dead. I am not bound by their words. Am I? Something simmers in my body, as if it’s waking up after years in the unknown.

“Why were you so afraid of telling me that?” I whisper nervously. Chris breathes heavily.

“Because our betrothals aren’t just words and a handshake. When we find our soulmate or when we are promised in marriage, we are bonded. Much the same way Dragan has bonded with you, you were bonded with your future husband when you were just an infant. Your blood was mixed so that he would always find you and protect you. You were betrothed into my family” Chris replies and holds my eyes, waiting my reaction. My brain is working on overtime here. Am I bonded with someone in the Ozera family? Is it Chris? Or someone else? I’m not even his? So my feelings for him are just... indifferent?

“I’m promised to an Ozera? Who...?” I whisper horrified as I stare into those steel grey eyes. They are almost luminous.

“Me” he replies seriously and intensely, and I widen my eyes in surprise. WHAT?!

“You’ve...”

I struggle to find words that actually make sense.

“Are we.. bonded? Together? You and me? Betrothed?!”

Chris nods with a hard stare and I close my eyes. He reaches out for my hand, but I pull back in the bed.

“Stop... gimme a second” I whisper weakly, while his words run through my mind. I may have chosen to let him touch me, but this information is taking it to a whole new level. Images of everything that has happened since Dragan opened the door to Professor Howard’s office flashes through my head.

“Bonded...” I whisper as I look up at Chris. My bonded male? My future husband? The father of my child? I see him for the first time in a new light, and not just in the shadow of my fear of the powerful Chris Ozera. Tall, blonde, hot, masculine, naughty, dominating, in love... with me. A whole new future flashes through my mind; Chris and I. His huge hand protectively on my pregnant belly. A little blond baby girl with long, thick curls jumping happily into her father’s arms, while they both laugh out loud. Chris, tall and handsome in en black tuxedo, waiting for me at the end of the great staircase. His steel grey eyes shining at me out of pure love and devotion. Chris’ huge body heavily on top of mine, while he enters me deeply and marks me as his own. His dark bonding scent empowered into every fibre of my being...

I pull myself out of that daydream. That future... I want it.

“So that’s how it is... we were bonded when we were young. That’s what you meant when you said I belonged to you. That I’d always been yours. So does this mean you actually _feel_ something for me? Not just sexual lust because of your bonding?”

Chris burst out a loud laugh and oh, be still, my body. His laughter sends heat through my blood.

“Sexual lust from bonding? Shit, female, you really have no idea how we work, how a thoroughbred male like me is wired, do you?”

I shake my head. Chris smiles widely as his eyes hold mine.

“Yes, I am bonded to you, but in more than one way. A bond like the one that was made when we were kids has nothing to do with sexual or emotional feelings. The bonding that exudes a male’s bonding scent is something primeval when his body finds his female companion. When he is completely and perfectly and incandescently in love with her. Like I am with _you_. And that has nothing to do with my childhood bonding of you and everything to do with who you are. And how you make me feel. You make me want to be a better male. That I am bonded with you because of our parents’ promises back then is a bonus. But it’s not the reason for my bonding of you now.”

I sink hard. Seriously? He’s really in love with me? It’s not just me?

“So my lust for you is because I’m...”

I let the sentence hang in the air not ready to say it out loud and Chris nods.

“And the baby... it could be yours?” I whisper. Chris tilts his head while he stares at me with intensity.

“I don’t know, Arya. It’s certainly a possibility. Your fast pregnancy is a surprise for us all. Our females’ fertility is so low, that it can be years before they get pregnant. But you? You became so in just a few days with Dragan, maybe even in one single night with me. I don’t know. I know what I hope for, but I just can’t give you an answer. But we’re both out of pure-blooded families, as are you, which is the reason why you are _as_ pregnant as you are – the child is 100% pure-blooded no matter which father it has.”

Shit! 40 days of pregnancy... even 9 months wouldn’t have been enough time to get used to the idea, but five weeks is just a second away! I’ve know Dragan – well and Chris – for fucking five minutes. I’m not ready have a child with either.

“But Dragan has bonded with me. How can he have bonded with me if I’ve always been... yours?” I ask insecure, while another thought hits me.

“And how can you be so calm about Dragan and me? Dragan become angry if someone just looks at me, not to mention physically touches me. But you don’t seem to be angry when he is touching me?”

Chris’ eyes light up with intensity. He grabs for my hand.

“Oh Arya... Sweet, innocent Arya... You are wrong. I become _furious_ when Dragan touches you, because my whole body is roaring that you are mine. When I had to let you go back to him, let him hold you again... it was not a coincidence that I needed him for business so soon. I couldn’t bear the thought of him even touching you, not when I finally knew that you were truly mine. But my bonding is old and settled, whereas Dragan's is so new, that he can’t control it. I _know_ that you are mine. No matter what happens, you are _mine_. When Dragan touches you... I want to kill him. I want to rip his head off and take you for myself so he can never touch you again. But even though he’s my cousin, my family; I don’t want you to see that. That’s the only thing holding me back. Not the family part. But you. My bonding telling me to protect you from him versus my need to protect you from having to see such a horrible thing... It’s a constant struggle.”

Chris shakes his head with a twisted smile. He whispers the last sentence almost to himself, as he hugs my hand in his large fists.

“Dragan...” I repeat mumbling and slowly shake my head.

“I don’t want him to ever touch me again.”

I stare down at my soft, light fingers surrounded by his tanned, large hands. It looks so... right. The contrast between my femininity and Chris’ masculinity is so clearly marked in the differences in our hands. I look up at him. His eyes shine at me. Shine of his bonding, his lust for me.

“He will never touch you again if you don’t want him to. Just say the word and I will protect you. It doesn’t matter if he _won’t_ let you go. I will take you from him, because you are _mine_. If you want to be.”

‘ _Mine_.’ The word hangs in the air between us and I feel his body heat radiate towards me. The muscles in my abdomen tighten and I am overwhelmed by the desire. The desire for this powerful male _. My_ powerful male.

“Chris…” I whisper as a prayer, an acceptance of him and the only ‘word’ I need to say. Chris reacts immediately. He pulls my hand so I am pulled off the bed. His other hand grabs my waist and places me on his lap, with one of my legs spread to each side of his hips. He grabs my face and pulls my mouth down to his own. I am lost. Even if I could fight his superior power, I don’t want to. Because I want this. I’m melting in his arms and into his mouth. My whole body is screaming at him and he fulfills my body’s desire greedily. His hands grab my ass and press me down against that hard erection. I moan into his mouth and rub myself against hm. He growls deeply and tightens his grip on my ass. My whole body is on fire. Fuck, this just feels _so right_. Everything he has said, everything he has told me about my past... It makes sense. I know in my heart that my body obeys his every command because _I am his_. Because I have been his since I was a baby. Whatever possessiveness and bonding Dragan has for me... it can’t be compared. It’s like trying to compare the flame on a candle to the sun. Chris is my sun.

“Arya…” Chris growls and pulls me back into the present.

“Turn around.”

I do as he commands and Chris mumbles “ _good girl_ ” behind me. I stand from his lap slowly with a wide grin and turns around, but don’t make it down on his lap again, before Chris’ hands have grabbed my ass again. I’m so surprised that I stumble forward, almost pushed by the hardness against my ass.

“Bend over” Chris commands. I let my body fall forward. I support myself with the lower side of my arms against the bed, while my stomach hits the edge of the bed. Chris sighs deeply. His hands slide from my ankles and up my bare legs, as his pulls the fabric of the dress up. He pulls the dress up over my ass and lets it lie on my lower back. My panties are being pulled down around my ankles and his hands grab my ass again.

“Oh that ass.. it’s so much _mine_ …” he mumbles like a prayer and suddenly I feel his lips against my buttocks. He kisses them hard and drags a wet trail of kisses over my ass until he places himself right between my legs. Oh! His tongue is wet and hard when it presses into me from behind without mercy. His nose drills into my flesh as he tries to press his tongue deeper into me. My legs tremble and I want to gather them, but Chris has a firm grip on my knees. A long finger enters me from behind, while he continues the wet play of his tongue. Slowly his tongue approaches my other hole and I gasp involuntarily.

“Easy, _female_ ” Chris mumbles against my skin, “I’m not going to hurt you.”

What? Hurt? No, no, there is absolutely nothing that is or can hurt me right now. On the contrary. The lust and the heat waves through my body and all I want is to feel Chris buried deep inside me. His tongue’s play and his fingers intrusion is so taunting, so slow... come on…

“Chris, please… “ I beg and try to push my ass back against him. The extreme heat is burning through me. I can hear him chuckle against my skin. He stops moving and I look over my shoulder.

“Come up” he says calmly, smiling – he’s so damn hot when he smiles – while he slaps me on the ass. Oh! I get up and still with my back to him; he pulls me down on his lap. His shirt must have disappeared as I sat down, cause when I lean back, I can feel his warm, hard upper body against my back and his hard erection through the fabric of his jeans.

“Hands behind your back.”

I obey without words.

“Good girl…”

His words are whispered into my ear with pride and warmth. One of his arms sneaks around my neck and his hand grabs my shoulder hard. Shit. What now? I am pressed back into his hard chest and my arms are locked between our bodies. He spreads my legs to each side of his own, while the other arm snakes down my belly and his fingers enters me hard and without warning.

“Oh!” I exclaim surprised. Chris tightens the grip on my neck, while his fingers enter me deeper. Yes! Right there!

“Chris… Chris… _Chris_ …” I whisper his name like a prayer; begging, pleading, trembling, all the while the heat rises in my body.

“Oh Arya, I love to feel how wet and willing you are in my arms. You… are… so… much… _mine_ ” he growls deeply into my ear and without warning, the orgasm overtakes me completely and I scream out loud. Chris hugs me tightly with his warm breath against my ear and his strong arms still dominatingly around my neck.

“My turn” he mumbles warmly and gets up, still with his hold on me. I am thrown down to the bed face first and barely manage to put my hands first. Chris grabs my hips and turns me around.

“I want to look into your eyes as I enter you” he smiles widely and I spread my legs obediently. He growls lustfully and gone are his jeans. In front of me Chris is now completely naked; huge and strong, only wearing his dark tattoos and a surprisingly red mark on his neck. Oh shit. It’s the mark of my teeth from earlier this evening. The light from the flames dance across his soft skin and makes the lust in his eyes seem alive. His lips turn up in a wide and triumphant smile. A second later he has placed his huge body heavily between my legs. His lips find mine in a deep, warm and wet kiss. I’m melting. His thick manhood enters me hard and I exhale a long moan. Not from pain, but from pleasure. I love feeling him inside of me; having him fill me completely, hard and brutally. Take me as if I was his and I am. I’ve always been. Chris grabs my throat and I resist the urge to grab his hand with my own. Instead I pull my hands up over my head and grab the bed sheet. I hug it tightly in my hands.

“Yes…” I whisper begging, “ _harder_.”

Chris reacts to my prayer and hammers relentlessly into me again and again. I am not aware of anything else besides that deep connection between us. I am his and he is mine. Nothing has ever been more _right_ than this. For the first time in my life, I feel complete. I am home. This is my male, this is my race and I feel strong. All that insecurity and feelings of not fitting in I’ve felt my entire life, is gone forever.

I let go of the bed sheet and grab Chris’ face in my hands. I pull him down to me and while his tongue enters my mouth, his grip around my neck tightens and his trusts become deeper. I dig my nails into the skin on the back of his neck. I hold him closely, feel his warmth surround me as he sets my insides on fire and burns my body with his marks.

“Arya!” he exclaim heavily, as he thrusts hard into me and I explode around his hard cock that’s about to empty itself into me. My whole body hums from heat. We both breathe heavily and shallow. Wow… that was… wow. Chris lets go of my neck and falls down on top of me. Ugh! He presses all the air out of me, but I don’t object. I don’t even mind. A dark, deep, spicy scent radiates from Chris’ warm skin and surrounds me. I pull his hair gently and he looks down at me with glowing eyes.

“Are you bonding with me?” I ask surprised and slowly sniff his arm. Shit. He is! His bonding scent is warm, seductive, masculine, deep, and powerful... _exactly_ like him. I take another sniff. The scent sends waves of pleasure through my body. Yeah, I won’t mind having Chris’ bonding scent on me twenty-four-seven.

“Mmm” Chris growls and smiles widely at me, “every male alive will smell me on your skin and know that you are fucking owned and that I will kill them for just looking at you. I guess we’re going to have to teach you all about this whole bonding thing, now that you’re bonded with me in every way possible. Because you are with me, right? You’re accepting my bonding? You are mine?”

I exclaim a confused laugh. Oh Chris… Do you even have to ask?

“There’s nothing to accept that I haven’t already accepted. Because I’ve always been yours. And I always will be” I whisper with a hint of regret, but I mean every word. Chris’ eyes pop.

“Mine?” he asks confident and I nod weakly.

“Yours” I reply. The triumph, the love and the power vibrate out of his whole body. Those steel grey eyes are luminous. His lips find mine in a deep and al-consuming kiss.


	17. Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: violence.

I am woken up by the fact that I am too hot. Way too much heat and it’s everywhere. What’s going on? Is the bed on fire or something? I slowly blink open my eyes to get them used to the sharp morning sun that radiates in through the window. Chris is completely wrapped around me. His arms are locked around my upper body, his leg entwined in mine and his face buried in my hair. I look down at his face. Wow. He’s really handsome. _Gorgeous_. He’s just laying there, all peaceful and snoring quietly and he looks so content and... calm. I have never seen him like this before. There is not a single shadow of arrogance or evilness in his face right now. A fierce urge to protect him invades my chest and I am overwhelmed by the feeling. _My male_. I have never had anyone be mine before. I’ve never been anyone’s before either. Except for Dragan’s, but I wasn’t really his. I was his slave so that doesn’t count. But this is right. This is _so_ right. Chris is mine. And I will protect him against everything.

My stomach roars quietly. I am hungry. Again. Didn’t I just eat a few hours ago? The baby wakes up and starts tumbling inside me. It is seriously the strangest feeling – the feeling of life _inside_ my body. A baby... Shit., I am so not ready to have a baby. And who’s the father? Is it really Chris, even though we only spend that one night together before I discovered my pregnancy? Or is it Dragan and my life takes a fucked up turn because karma really is a bitch?

Chris moves a bit. He tightens his hold around me and takes a deep breath. I smile down at him. He opens his eyes in surprise and confused he seeks mine.

“Arya?” he mumbles insecure, as if he’s thinking ‘is she really right here in my arms? And is she still mine?’ Yes Chris, I am and yes, I am. _Always_.

“Good morning” I smile and kiss him gently on his forehead. His grip tightens even further. My stomach roars again.

“Mmm” he growls into my hair, “I better feed you.”

“I don’t want to go” I mumble in weak protest.

“I know, _abranyaa_ ” he whispers. A second later he has placed himself between my legs and I can feel his hard morning erection throb against my inner thigh. Chris kisses me gently, seductively, sensually and I am drowning in his kiss. Wow. How can this dominating and brutal male be so gently and kind to me? His hands move over my body, gently but firm. Grab, tug, cuddle, caress, touch... This is vanilla but not like I’ve ever had vanilla before. His touches send waves of lust and desire through my body and I am _so ready_ for him. Too slow he enters my heat and I moan loud. Chris puts his arms around my shoulders and hugs me tightly, while he finds a slow but steady pace with his hips. I scratch my nails over his broad shoulders, while I feel him everywhere – around me, against me, inside me... It’s like being surrounded by lava and the heat takes up residence in my abdomen. I cling to him while I kiss him on the neck. His masculine scent fills all my senses. Chris growls deep, before his trusts become harder and my body obeys his hunger for it, as I explode around him the same second as he shoots himself deeper into me.

Chris lies completely still, his arms still tightly around me and his now half-hard cock inside me.

“I don’t even understand how I’ve been able to live all these years without you” he mumbles into my neck, while his dark scent hugs me like an invisible fog.

“How have you? I mean, if we are bonded as kids, if my blood should make you able to always find me?” I ask, not understanding how it works. Chris slowly releases the grip around me and lifts himself up by the arms, so he can look into my eyes. I feel him fall out of me.

“I’ve always felt you, felt your presence in my body... I’ve just always thought it was normal to feel... the loss of losing one’s bonded female. The feeling of you hummed inside me. But I’ve never given in to it, never let myself truly feel it in order to find you, because I knew you had died in that car accident where your brother survived and the thought of enhancing the pain I felt inside... it just never occurred to me to try.”

I sink hard while my eyes sting. Oh Chris... You’ve been just as lost as I have.

“That day in the cabin, when I saw you for the first time; I didn’t know it was you. You were just some scared human woman I needed against Dragan. When I smelled his bonding on you I was surprised, because I didn’t think humans were able to bond, but I didn’t think twice about it. It wasn’t until my skin touched yours – when my hand grabbed your lovely neck – something clicked into place inside of me. I knew you were mine, that you’d always been mine. I just didn’t know why I felt that way. I never even thought for a second that you could be Aryanne, even though I should have, your name taken into consideration. But even not knowing who you were, I couldn’t mistreat you. So I had you brought to my own bedroom, the most secure room in the entire mansion and had you taken care of, while I tried to control myself. That’s why I didn’t visit you for so long; because I knew you were Dragan’s so I couldn’t just take you even though you felt like mine. That first day on the bed, all I wanted was to throw myself at you. And when you ran into me that morning... Shit, I wanted to kick everyone out and take you right there on the floor. Having you in my arms, taking you for the first time... it felt like the most natural thing in the world, as natural as breathing. When Dragan came to take you back, shit, Arya, letting you go and seeing you in the arms of my cousin... it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever been through.”

He takes a deep breath. Wow. All this openness... Suddenly I recall how I stopped James from shooting Chris that day in the cabin, before I had even seen him or touched him. My body was protecting him long before I even became aware of being his. But... I’m not the first one to be?

“And Maria? Your female? What happened? Were you bonded to her?”

The questions leave my lips before I can think or stop them. Shit. Do I really want to know? Will I be able to bear hearing about another female he has loved and impregnated? Whom he has lost? Chris shuts his eyes hard, while he takes another deep breath.

“It was a long time ago” Chris mumbles and lifts his body off mine. Shit. I should have kept my mouth shut. He’s pulling away from me. Stupid me!

“We were so young... our families had arranged it. Because the Hathaway family was gone, my parents had to marry me to someone else. Maria was a Moroz, the daughter of my uncle’s friend. We were betrothed and she was pregnant, about halfway to term. I had business in the other end of the country and left her in Dragan’s care. I thought she’d be safe with my cousin. He would protect her. But during the night she complained about a stomach ache. Dragan didn’t take it seriously, and why should he? She wasn’t his female and it wasn’t his child. He asked her to take some painkillers and go back to bed to relax. She objected but Dragan was tough, he didn’t want to drive to the hospital in the middle of the night.”

My heart breaks into a thousand pieces. No, D...? Has he really been that cold and cruel? Poor Maria... poor Chris.

“When I came home the next morning, the house was quiet. Dragan was snoring on the couch. I called out for Maria, but there was no answer. I had this fear pounding in my chest and I called louder, while I searched the house in panic. She was in bed. Like she was sleeping. For a brief second I was relieved to have found her, but then the truth hit me. She was too pale, too still. I fell to my knees next to the bed, convinced she was dead because _I_ had left her...”

Chris voice dies out. He’s breathing shallow and heavy. I sit up in bed with wet eyes and put my arms around his waist, while I hug myself against him. My warm tears fall gently on his skin and I hug myself tighter, while I feel his breathing slow.

“I couldn’t blame anyone but myself. Not even Dragan. He was just a big kid, a teenager who wasn’t aware of the dangers of pregnancy or the importance of keeping a female safe.”

“And no, Arya” he says and grabs me. He pulls me up to sit on his lap with both my legs to one side, so he can kiss the side of my neck.

“You are the only female I have bonded with. I never bonded with Maria, never felt anything close to what I’m feeling for you. It was an arranged marriage, nothing more. We didn’t even do a bonding ceremony. I have always belonged to you and I am bonded to you in every way possible. Or I will be soon, anyway.”

His voice is warm and his words make me feel safe. Those strong arms close around me and I sink in against his warm, hard body. _Home_. I am home. Chris is my perfect counterpart – masculine, strong, hard, protective. How have I been able to live without him for so long? I’ve always belonged to him too, I’ve just never known it. With Chris there is no ‘Yes, D’ or punishment for disobedience. He’s never lied to me. He’s never been brutal to me. He’s never forced to me anything – because let’s face it; his first ‘rape’ of me wasn’t exactly force. I was more than willing. It seems like he’s respecting me when he changes himself or his actions again and again for me. When I am the only one he listens too, who can make him change his mind. But how am I going to explain all this to Dragan? How will he react? I sigh deeply while I lean in against Chris.

“Food...” Chris mumbles and as a reply, my stomach roars. He chuckles low. Then he gets up, still with me on his lap and puts me back on the bed.

“Stay. I’ll get you food, I want to take care of you” he mumbles and kisses me gently on the forehead. Then on my cheek. And on the other one. Last but not least he presses his warm lips against mine and I am lost. Wow.

“Stay with me” I whisper against his mouth. I grab his hard upper arms and try to pull him down to me. The fight between wanting to feed me and wanting to make love to me emerges from his body.

“Food first” he mumbles back and then he removes his warmth from me. Chris quickly gets dressed and gives me one last kiss, before he throws some more wood on the fire and leaves the cabin. The door shuts behind him. I pull the duvet over me to keep warmth. The suns sharp rays in through the window warm a bit, but it’s truly become fall and the temperature is definitely in the frozen side. The fire is almost dead, but I hope the new wood will catch on soon. I stare at the logs to try to get them to burst into flames using my mind. It doesn’t work. Obviously. I kick the duvet off and get up from the bed. I bend down towards the fire and use the fire poker to mess with the embers to get them to ignite the new wood. There! Who needs males? Ha! Female make fire. I smile proudly of myself.

I straighten and detect a moment from the corner of my eye in the same second as I feel the cold gust of wind against my naked body. I turn my head towards the door and jerk in surprise. There is a man standing in front of the door, all quiet as he is watching me intensely. Tall, broad, hard, arrogant... Definitely not a man. _A male_. His hair is black and short; his eyes are pitch black, cheerful and superior. And horrifying. A crooked smile hangs on his lips, which are scorned by a long scare that starts just under his right eye end ends at his chin. I am suddenly very aware that I am naked. Completely naked. I quickly pull the duvet off the bed and wrap it around me.

“Who... are you?” I ask insecure and hug the duvet tightly. The male watches me calmly.

“The big question, female, is who are _you_ – this is my cabin” he replies with a smile and looks around. My eyes follow his and when I look back at him, he stares at me intensely.

”Not that I mind finding a naked female in my cabin. I’m going to see you as a gift for me.”

His smile becomes wider. His hands grab the waistband of his pants, before he begins to unbutton them. Shit. This can’t be good? Slowly he pulls his shirt up from the waistband and I sink hard. What the fuck is up with these crazy males wanting females for gifts?

“Stay away” I exhale with fear pounding through me. My heart is beating hard and my protective instincts awaken to protect my belly. I pull back and exclaim a loud scream when I hit the cold stone wall behind me.

“Scream all you want, female. I love it when they scream” he smiles and approaches me with slow steps, while he unbuttons his shirt, one button at a time. His black eyes focus on my belly hidden behind the duvet.

“I can smell your pregnancy, female. But it’s not my young, so I don’t really care. And I can smell the father’s bonding too. It’s a strong one, must be a thoroughbred male. Wonder what he’ll do when he finds out what happened here?” I sink hard and try to press myself through the wall. The male is barely three feet from me when the door opens.

“You do not touch her, V” Chris growls seriously and the sound of his voice is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. A second later, Chris is between me and this V, so close that he almost crushes me against the wall while his chest hits V’s.

“Why do you even care? Or have the power of the throne gone to your head and now you think you can control everything, _karol_?” V replies with cold cheerfulness and takes a step to the side as if to sidestep Chris. Chris steps with him,

“I’m serious, V. Stay away. She’s mine” Chris growls and the fury radiates off him.

“Come on, Ozera, let’s have some fun together.”

Chris puts his hands on V’s chest and pushes him back. V stumbles a bit and growls deep.

“You’re really going to fight with me over some random males’ female you play with?”

V’s voice is low, deep and intense.

“She’s _my female_. That’s my bonding on her. And she’s a Hathaway” Chris replies. V’s attitude changes immediately. He straightens and looks at me so intensely that I feel chills run down my spine. Then he softens and makes a big deal out of tucking his shirt back into his pants. As a kind of apology. Weird?

“I thought they were all gone” V mumbles.

“She’s Odrian’s daughter, Aryanne, _Arya_ ” Chris replies and V’s stare burns into mine, while he lifts an eyebrow in surprise.

“Your bonded female?” V mumbles and I nod slowly at him. V buttons his pants too and crooks his head.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, _Arya_. And congratulations on the young.”

Then he turns around and leaves the cabin. I sigh in relief as the door slams behind him. Chris turns towards me and his hands grab my face.

“Are you okay?” he asks, “he... he didn’t touch you, did he? I heard you scream.”

“No, you got here in time. He just scared me” I mumble back and the relief radiates out of Chris.

“Who is he?”

Chris pulls me down on the bed.

“Vladimir Moroz, Maria’s cousin” Chris replies and continues; “he’s dangerous, Arya. Promise me you’ll stay away from him.”

He is serious. I nod accepting.

“Of course” I mumble. Chris hugs me tightly.

“If anything happened to you...”

His voice is barely a whisper and he buries his face in my hair. The rest of the sentence hangs unspoken between us, but I know what he means because I feel the same; if something happened to _him_ , I would die.

“Get dressed” he growls and lets me get up to put on the clothes that Chris has brought me. He’s even brought socks, shoes and a jacket for me. He grabs my hand and leads me back to the mansion through the still frozen grass. The suns sharp rays have broken through the heavy morning mist and blind me.

Inside the kitchen is warm and quiet. On the table is placed a large plate of the most delicious salad I’ve ever seen, with lots of chicken and bacon. Wow. My mouth almost waters. I eat fast and greedy, this huge appetite must be a pregnancy-thing. I’ve never been the huge lover of food before. Chris watches me intensely, smiling while I eat the last of the chicken.

“What?” I mumble with food in my mouth and Chris’ smile widens.

“You are so sexy, I want to take you right here and now” he growls back and his words reverberate into heat in my body. The heat spreads and all I want to do is throw myself into his arms right here on the kitchen table. Wow. What an affect he has on me! I put the fork down and the second it hits the table, Chris is all over me. His pushes the plate down to the floor with indifference, as he pulls me from my chair. I hear it crash and want to object, but Chris demands my full attention. He carefully lays me down on the hard table and buries his hands in my hair, while his mouth invades mine. The heat explodes in my body. Yes... this is _so_ good.

“Oh shit!”

I scream in surprise by the sound of a voice, but don’t have time to react or think, before Chris has pulled me off the table and placed himself in from of me in a protective crouch.

“Leave” he growls angry and I look past him at the person standing in the door opening. Megan! She blushes deeply.

“I’m sorry” she whispers guilty and I feel a stab of pity. She’s clearly afraid of Chris. Can I blame her?

“Hey, it’s okay” I say calmly and disarmingly, while I move in front of Chris, keeping my hands on his body to keep him calm.

“We were just startled. Stay, please.”

Megan smiles weakly. I feel surprise radiate from Chris, but then his arm sneaks around me and he pulls me tightly against him.

“Fine...” he mumbles into my hair and hugs me tighter.

“Your friend can stay. I have some business to attend to anyway. I’ll find you later. But promise me you’ll stay away from V.”

I nod in consent. Chris kisses me on the forehead.

“And I don’t have to ask you to not leave the compound?”

I smile up at him.

“I’m not leaving you” I mumble. His lips press against mine.

“Yours” I whisper. The contentment radiates from Chris and he growls calmly.

“ _Maya_ _abranyaa_.”

He kisses me and then leaves the kitchen with a short nod to Megan. She stares at me in disbelief.

“You’re his _abranyaa_?” she asks startled and I shrug.

“I don’t know what that is, but yeah, I think so” I reply seriously and pick up the broken plate from the floor. I throw it in the bin and sit by the table. I nod for Megan to join me and she slowly sinks down on one of the chairs across from me.

“I don’t understand...” she mumbles, “yesterday you hated Chris and told him to leave you. Now you let him kiss you, protect you and call you his. What happened?”

She shakes her head in disbelief. I take a deep breath.

“It’s hard to explain...”

I twist my hand, searching for the right words.

“Did you know that I was betrothed to Chris when we were kids?”

Megan freezes. She slowly and insecurely nods. What? She knew? And she didn’t tell me?

“I was afraid to tell you, Arya. You were so full of hate towards Ozera and if none of you knew you were promised to each other, I didn’t want to be the one who reminded you” she says uneasy. I nod in understanding. It’s actually fair, I think.

“I understand” I reply and Megan smiles relieved.

“But I didn’t realise how much I was Chris’ until last night. I’ve somehow known it this whole time... but refused to give in to my attraction of him. I’ve only seen him as evil and as the bad guy. He gave me back to Dragan and I thought it was because he didn’t want me, even though I wanted him from the very beginning.“

I look down.

“So why are you so hesitant? Arya, if you are in love with Ozera - and he is clearly head over heels in you... isn’t it the right thing then; you being his?”

Her voice is calm and her words logical. I look up at her, serious and scared.

“But... what if the baby isn’t Chris’?” I whisper with fear in my voice. Megan remains calm.

“It doesn’t matter if Chris is the biological father or not... You of all people should know that. Your human parents are still your parents, even if they didn’t give birth to you, are they not? So the baby _is_ Chris’ because _you_ are his.”

Her statement is so calm and logical, and it makes so much sense, that I almost can’t believe I haven’t thought about it like that before. Megan reaches for my hand across the table.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right, I never really thought about it like that” I reply more calm and hug her hand in mine. Megan smiles at me. The door to the kitchen opens and startled we pull our hands to ourselves. Vladimir enters the kitchen. His tall body freezes the second he sees Megan and me sitting by the table. His eyes fixate on me and he nods in acknowledgement to me once. I smile back. I haven’t forgotten Chris’ warning about him, but I have absolutely no intentions of being rude to him or show him more fear. Those dark eyes fixate on Megan and for a brief moment it is as if the world stops. He stares at her in astonishment, like a blind man seeing the sun for the very first time. Or male, as it is. Megan blushes deeply and looks down. Vladimir turns around and leaves the kitchen.

“Who was that?” Megan whispers breathless and takes a hand up to her throat.

“Vladimir Moroz” I say, watching her blush becomes darker.

“Moroz?” Megan mumbles, still looking at the door, “he’s a Moroz?”

“Yeah, he’s one of Chris’... ahm... friends, I think. I just met him this morning. He’s kinda scary.”

Megan opens her mouth to reply, just as the door to the garden opens. We both turn around. The air gets heavy and uncomfortable as well as ice cold, when a large shape appears in the door opening. Bryan. He stares at me and that ice cold stare makes me gasp in fear. Then he fixates his eyes on Megan.

“There you were, traitor” he growls angrily. An anger directed at Megan. She quickly gets up from the chair and pulls back, clearly scared of what will happen now.

“Stay away” I snap without thinking, as I get up and put myself in front of Megan. Bryan looks at me in disgust.

“Don’t even think about, _female_. Don’t get in my way. You’ve already cause me too much trouble today.”

His voice is cold and horrifying. He lashes out at me with the back of his hand and the force of the blow sends me straight down to the floor. I scream in surprise and pain, and fall headfirst down towards the hard tiles. My head throbs and my vision fails, as black spots dance before my eyes. I hear struggle behind me, Megan screaming and then a door slam, before everything gets quiet. I try to sit up, but the dizziness is too much and I fall back onto the floor before everything becomes black.


	18. Brother

A worried voice pulls me out of the quietness of the darkness. I wake up groggy. Chris is leaned in over me, fear shining from his steel grey eyes. I see him exhale in relief, when I stir.

“ _Arya_.”

He says my name like a prayer; a gratitude of me being alive and here. I remember... everything.

“Megan?” I mumble nervously and Chris shakes his head.

“She’s not here” he replies and panic runs through my blood.

“Bryan! He took her!” I exclaim terrified.

“Bryan?” Chris replies surprised. I struggle to get up from the floor. Chris reached down and lifts me up without effort. He sits me down on the chair by the table and kneels before me.

“We have to save her!” I say with fear in my voice, fear of what Bryan will do to Megan. Chris shakes his head.

“No” be replies seriously. I stare at him in surprised.

“What do you mean by ‘no’? ’No’ what? We’re not saving her?” I ask astonished and Chris shakes his head again.

“She’s not my concern _. You are_ ” he says hard. I blink my eyes real fast.

“But she’s _my_ concern. She’s _my_ friend. I can’t just let her die without doing something to save her” I object and hold on to Chris’ gaze. Those steel grey eyes are calm and determined. I give back with same determination.

“Chris. If you won’t help me, I’ll save her myself.”

I look angrily at him. We stare at each other for a very long time, a silent fight of wills. I am determined. So is he. I lift an eyebrow in a silent challenge to him, to remember how I got free from Dragan against all odds when he had kidnapped Howard and wanted me in exchange. How I’ve been fighting him since he brought me here – how he’s always called me a fighter. After what feels like hours – but it’s probably only a few seconds, maybe a whole minute – the hardness in Chris’ eyes dissolve.

“Dammit...” he growls and I sigh in relief.

I’ll find her. _For you_.”

I nod with tears in my eyes.

“Thank you” I whisper hoarsely and squeeze his hand. He looks at me resignedly.

“What I wouldn’t do for you...” Chris mumbles, as he pulls me down from the chair and into his huge arms. He hugs me tightly, and I breathe in his masculine, dark scent. _Mine_.

The door to the kitchen opens and we both look towards it. Vladimir is standing in the opening again, big and dangerous and unpleasant. He looks around and quickly tenses as he sees the signs of a fight.

“What’s going on? Where’s the other female?” he demands hard and fixates his piercing black eyes at me. I breathe deep but return his stare.

“My friend? She has been kidnapped” I whisper. Vladimir raises an eyebrow.

“The female is your friend? She’s an Amaraz, true? A member of The Resistance?” he mumbles and I send him a confused look.

“Yes, Megan Amaraz” Chris answers for him and I nod in confirmation. I didn’t even know her lastname. Vladimir nods once and something dark and dangerous flashes in his eyes. What was that?

“I’ll help you find her” he mumbles and leaves the kitchen without further words or explanation. What just happened? Is V going to help me get Megan back from Bryan – his enemy who’s been taken by his own friend? Did he just decide that in less than ten seconds without any form of persuasion, when I almost had to force Chris to do the same? I get up from Chris’ lap and he follows me. I look up at him in expectation, as if to signal that we need to move. _Now_. I nod towards the door and am about to speak, when Chris interrupts me.

“No” he growls and pushes me down on the chair. No, what? He promised?

“You’re staying here.”

Excuse me? I shake my head.

“You’re not leaving me here” I snap hard and stare at him. Chris returns my hard stare.

“Bryan is not a joke. He’s a warrior. If he has kidnapped Megan it’s to hurt her, not to let her go the second I find them. If it comes down to a confrontation – and knowing Bryan I’m sure it will – I can’t have you in the middle of it. If something happened to you... if I somehow couldn’t protect you...”

Chris grabs the back of the chair and leans down to me, forehead against forehead. I close my eyes. How can I deny him his urge to follow his instincts to protect me, when all I want to do is follow my own instincts to protect Megan?

“No, you’re staying here in the mansion where it’s safe. I’m not taking you with me.”

“Chris...” I whisper and gently lay my hands around his face. Those steel grey eyes glow at me. I’m about to give in to his protective instinct and accept to be left behind, when another thought hits me and I’m overwhelmed by it.

“You can’t leave me here without you” I whisper to him, while my eyes get wet, “if Dragan comes back... and you’re not here to protect me... Chris, he doesn’t know about us. He doesn’t know that I’m yours. And I don’t know how to protect myself if he... if he wants to...”

I let the rest of the sentence be unspoken between us, as the first tear falls from my eye. I feel so powerless; I can’t protect my friend without Chris; I can’t even protect myself without Chris. Something dark flashes in Chris’ eyes. I don’t have to say anymore. His bonding takes over.

“Shit, Arya, you’re right” he whispers to me and I exhale in relief. Yes, I am. Chris can’t leave me behind, because Dragan would claim me if he came back early. And I would not be allowed to say no. Dragan would not know that Chris has taken me for his own, taken me _back_ , and that he is never allowed to touch me again unless he wants to lose his head. Chris grabs my wrists and pulls me up on my feet. Without any words, he drags me out of the kitchen and through the mansion to the office at the end of the dining room. Chris places me in the soft leather couch he’s been sleeping on for the last week or so, while he sits himself behind the desk and grabs his phone. The first call is to Vladimir, but the second call is to a Jason whom I don’t recognise the name of. I lean back in the couch and listen to Chris’ voice without really hearing the words, while I lay my hands protectively on my still growing baby bump. Shit. Has it really grown since this morning? Is that really possible? How late is it anyway? I look out of the large window in the office, its dark outside and the clock on the wall shows close to midnight. Wow, how long was I unconscious? I close my eyes and feel a wave of exhaustion flush over me.

*

“Arya.”

The sound of my name on Chris’ lips makes me open my eyes wide in surprise for the second time tonight.

“What?” I ask groggy and my eyes catch the clock on the wall. Past three? Shit, did I fell asleep? I look up at Chris, who sits down next to me with compassion in his lovely eyes.

“You’re exhausted” he states calmly and I nod.

“Even more reason for me to not stay here without you. I don’t have the strength to fight right now” I mumble back and Chris’ lips crooks.

“ _I_ will protect you” he mumbles into my hair as he puts those huge arms around my tired body. He holds me tightly.

“But you should take better care of yourself too.”

I smile weakly.

“I thought that was your job.”

Chris exhales but smiles anyway.

“Oh it is. That’s my most important job; protecting you, _female_ ” Chris growls, lowering his head to mine. His lips are warm and soft when they press hard against mine, and I surrender to them. I surrender to him.

“I love it when you call me that” I whisper against his lips. Chris growls deep and masculine, while his arms crush my body in a hard embrace.

“I thought you hated it.”

His voice is full of disbelief and I smile against his lips.

“I did. But only because I didn’t want to acknowledge how _right_ it felt to be called it. To have you call me that” I whisper back.

A hard knock on the door sounds. Chris calls out as he lets my lips go. Vladimir enters the office, just as tall and dangerous as the first time I saw him in the cabin. His eyes are determined, but there is a desperation to them that I haven’t seen before. Behind him enters another male, almost as tall as Vladimir and clearly one of The Others. Tall, big, masculine. _Dangerous_. He seems younger than Chris, less serious than the other males in the room. Blonde hair, almost white and shinny baby blue eyes. He looks like an actor from Hollywood. Brad Pitt, go home. Vladimir nods briefly to me without looking at me, but Handsome Hollywood approaches me and reaches out a hand to me. I offer him mine and he falls to his knees in front of me. He gently pulls my hand to his forehead and speaks a long series of sentences in their strange language. Déjà-vu. Exactly the same reaction as James had in the hallway a lifetime ago. And Yulian and Roman in the garden. Why are they doing that? The satisfaction radiates from Chris, but I keep my attention on the male in front of me. I smile warmly and grateful to him.

“My name is Jason Belaruz” he says with a wide smile and I return that smile.

“Arya” I reply and Jason’s smile spreads across his whole face. Then he rises from the floor and sits down heavily on the couch on my other side. Belaruz. I’ve heard that name mentioned several time. Dragan has called James that a few times and even that male in the entree hall on the first night of me being held captured by Chris was called Belaruz.

“Belaruz as in James Belaruz?” I ask curiously. Jason turns towards me with a crooked smile while he shrugs.

“Belaruz is a huge family. I think James is my uncle’ cousin’s son. Or something like that. Far out, so I don’t really know him that well, mostly by reputation.”

I nod. What about the other Belaruz? The one from my first night with Chris? Another knock on the door and another male enters. Tall, big, masculine. This can’t even surprise me, Dark hair, hard weather-beaten face, serious green eyes. _Dangerous_. And somehow familiar even though I’ve never seen him before.

“ _Blizki_ ” Chris growls as he lets me go and rises to greet the newly arrived.

“Thank you for coming home, Ian.”

“ _Karol_ ” the male replies as a greeting and reaches out both hands to Chris. The two males shake hands with both hands grabbing the others and then Ian’s eyes turn to me, as he takes a deep breath. His green eyes widen in surprise and he looks at Chris is disbelief.

“I’m gone for fucking 3 weeks and I come home to this? Not only have you found yourself a female... Finally, I might add! But you’ve bonded with her _and_ gotten her pregnant?” Ian exclaims in surprise. His thick Scottish accent is clear and a superior smile hangs on Chris’ lips.

“You know me, _blizki,_ I don’t do things half-heartedly.”

Both males smile at each other and then Ian turns towards me.

“Ian McEwan, this is Aryanne Hathaway” Chris growls and I smile up at Ian as a greeting. He falls to his knees in front of me and grabs my hand. After those mysterious words have been spoken, Ian pulls my hand even closer to him and presses it against his chest. I can feel the beating of his strong heart under my palm.

“ _Karalieva_. I swear to protect you as if you were my own flesh and blood. Never will anything bad happen to you as long as this heart beats in my chest. As bonded abranyaa to my king, you are my queen from this day and until the last day arrives” Ian mumbles with serious eyes and keeps my hand against his chest. I blink away the first tears, as I see the sincerity in those green eyes in front of me. Never have I felt such a strong feeling of safety and protection, such a powerful loyalty and such a blind trust. These males, they aren’t just Chris’ friends and warriors. They are my brothers. It’s the only word I have to describe them with. Me who’s been alone for so many years... ever since my parents and brother died. Never have I had a family to lean on, a family who would support me and make me feel safe. Alexander is out there somewhere, yes, but I haven’t seen him in something like 18 years. I’ve believed him to be deal in all those years, always feeling alone and insecure. But these three males are real, they are right here in front of me; now that I need them the most.

“I don’t know how to thank you” I whisper to Ian and lay my free hand over his on his chest.

“I am so grateful for you being here... “

I look up at Jason and Vladimir,

“... for all of you being here.”

I blink a few tears away and they slowly roll down my warm cheeks. Ian smiles widely to me and then the seriousness is back in his eyes. He releases me and turns towards Chris.

“Where is that traitor?” Ian growls angry and the mood in the room changes into something dark, as both Jason and Vladimir turn their attention to Chris too. Traitor? Oh. Bryan. Shit. They’re talking about Bryan.

“I have a pretty good suspicion” Chris replies as he points to some papers on his desk. All four males bend over the desk and I can see them nod confirming to each other.

“That’s a good guess. Bryan has often talked about his ‘sanctuary’ in Tywyn” Jason says calmly, while he scratches his neck.

“Does he have help or is he all alone with the female?”

Vladimir hisses towards Jason, and everyone’s attention turn to V in surprise.

“What?” Jason asks startled as he shrugs in confusion.

“I’m just asking!”

The aggression hangs like an aura around Vladimir.

“I don’t care if he has a fucking army helping him. Nothing will stand in my way” Vladimir growls and I see Ian and Chris exchange a look. Jason nods heavily as he accepts Vladimir’s outburst and turns his gaze to the papers on the desk. He points down.

“Look there.”

The others follow his finger.

“There is a path behind the cabin, so if we park on the edge of the forest on the west side, we can follow the path to the backside and surprise him from behind.”

“That’s a good plan” Chris nods confirming and looks over at me.

“Go upstairs and change, I don’t want you getting cold on our way through the forest.”

I nod in accept and arise from the couch.

“Wait, what? Are you going to bring _her_?” Ian asks in disbelief, “It’s not safe for her!”

Jason nods his agreement, but Vladimir keeps his gaze on the map even though I clearly feel his attention on me. Wait, is that a crooked smile I see?

“I can’t leave her here unprotected, it’s too dangerous for her here alone” Chris replies calmly and looks over at me, while he nods; “Go on, Arya.”

I force a half smile and leave the office. I stand on the other side of the door, all quiet to not let them know I’m here, while I hear Ian protest again.

“Why the fuck would you bring a _female_ to a fight like this? And she’s your own female! She’s pregnant for fuck sake. You need to protect her better than that!” Ian exclaims hard and angry.

“Remember who you’re talking to, Ian” Jason intervenes. There is a loud thumb, as if someone threw something.

“ _Karol_ or not, nothing justifies a male bringing a pregnant female in danger because of his bonding of her” Ian spits. Silence follows, and then a loud crash as a huge body is thrown into the wall just beside the door. I jump in surprise and put my hand over my mouth to not make any sound.

“Easy, V, it’s not what he thinks.”

Chris’ dark voice is calm, but dominant.

“Ian is right. Bringing Arya with us is dangerous and certainly not my first choice, but there are circumstances that force me to bring her, because leaving her behind would be more dangerous for her.”

Everyone is silent as they listen to Chris’ explanation.

“Dragan is here.”

Aaand the silence is gone. All three males starts to protest in anger and hate, while their loud voices fill the office and they talk over each other so I can’t hear anyone clearly.

“Enough!” Chris shouts and the three males shut up. Chris exhales in desperation. I can hear it in his voice.

“You all know how long I’ve wanted to unite my family and put an end to The Resistance so our race could be strong again. When Dragan found a female, I thought I had a chance to do exactly that. So I kidnapped her to use her as leverage to force Dragan to leave that stupid rebellion of his behind and join his family again. But then I found out who she really was, Hell, she didn’t even know herself. She’s Aryanne Hathaway, the daughter of Odrian and Annabelle, one of the two last living Hathaways we know of. She’s _my_ bonded female. That’s why I can’t leave her here without me – and yes, I know this mansion is safe, but she’d be unprotected from Dragan. I sent him away, but he could come back at any time and if he finds her here, alone, without my protection and without any of my warriors to protect her because I’m taking you all with me, I can’t even think about what he’d do to her, because he has bonded with her too.”

“He’s what?!” Ian exclaims in disbelief. I hear Chris sigh angrily.

“Are you telling me that your cousin has bonded with _your_ female? That you’re _both_ bonded with her?”

“I didn’t even know that was possible” Jason says, “I mean, I’ve heard stories from old times, but nothing solid.”

“Yes, we’re both bonded with her. But she hasn’t accepted Dragan’s bonding, so she’s not bonded with him.”

Chris is using his matter-of-fact voice, but I can hear the pain in it.

“But she has accepted _your_ bonding?” Ian asks.

“Yes” Chris replies hard to leave no doubt, but even I can hear the doubt in the word. And I’m guessing so can Ian and the other two males. Chris is in doubt about me having accepted his bonding? Even after I told him that I already have? Or I think I have anyway. I don’t know how it works, that whole bonding thing or how a female even accepts it. Maybe it’s something that happens automatically? Shit. I don’t want to hear anymore. I can hear Ian ask more questions and Chris’ dark voice growls answers I can’t hear, but I do hear the word ‘Dragan’ being mentioned as I run out of the dining room. The entree hall empty and the whole mansion is actually quiet, but then again, it is the middle of the night so it shouldn’t surprise me. As I move through the quiet mansion, my thoughts wander to Megan and even thought I’ve know her for such a short period of time – we’re talking hours, dammit, she still feels like part of my life. My sister-in-law, as she should have been. I’ve spend my whole life keeping people away out of fear of being hurt if they came too close. Because I loved my parents and my brother, and they were ripped from me. And now... now I have a whole handful of people who will do anything for me. Just listen to how they’re defending me! Ian has known me for minutes and he’s already going against Chris to keep me safe. I’ve never had anyone do that for me before. Or, not _people_ , but Others. Shit. I’ll never get used to that. I am an Other. I’m not human. Who is it even possible? I still feel like myself. However, a small nudge inside my belly confirms the change. Oh little nudger, what I am I going to do about you? Who is your father? Am I even ready to become your mother?

*

After a quick change of wardrobe, I’m back in the great entree hall, but I don’t make it into the office, before all four males comes out of the door from the dining room. Chris’ eyes search for mine and his arms close around me. He seems calm, but there is an anxiety to his mood. Is it because I’m going with them? Or did he and Ian have a serious fight after I left?

“I’ll get the car” Jason mumbles and forces half a smile for me, before disappearing out of the front door. I’m surrounded by Chris’ warm embrace, when I feel another warm hand on my shoulder. I twist free and turn around towards Ian, whose gaze is serious.

“Aryanne” he says determinedly, “I know you’ve only just met me and you already know I don’t think you belong in the field with us, but I understand why you can’t be left here alone. I would offer to stay here with you, but I also suspect that you don’t want to leave Chris’ side. I respect that.”

“Arya, please” I reply and Ian nods. He’s very observant, I have to give him that. Even if he did offer to stay here to protect me from Dragan in case he comes back early, I would say no. Being away from Chris, after only having learned that I’m his after all this time... it’s painful to just think about it. So, yeah, I don’t want to be away from him.

“Arya. I need you to trust me. I will protect you with my life. So when we are out there and I tell you to do something, I need you to do so without objections or hesitation or questions. Stay close to me, no matter what happens and nothing will harm you. Okay?”

I nod calmly.

“Okay” I reply in a clear voice. _Brother_. The word echoes in my mind, but I ignore it and let Chris lead me out to the car. We haven’t been on the road for very long, when I feel the tiredness overtake me once more. Surrounded by the safety of the four males in the car and Chris’ warm arm, I close my eyes and give in to the darkness.


	19. Operation Rescue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

I wake up startled, when the car bumps over an uneven gravel road through a forest. It’s still dark outside, and a quick glance at the digital clock in the car shows that we’ve been driving for about 3 hours. The sky is heavy with clouds and small white snowflakes drizzle slowly down in the light of the headlights. Snow? In November? Chris notices that I’m awake and presses a hard kiss to my hair, while he inhales the scent of it.

“I can’t even bear the thought that something could happen to you” he whispers quiet, but I sense Ian’s head turn towards us at the words.

“I will protect her with my life, _moy karol_. As if she was my own” Ian says and Chris nods to him in gratitude. What is this _karol_ he keeps calling him? Hey, what was that about me being _abranyaa_ to his king? Chris is _king_? Of what? He never said anything about that, neither has anyone else for that matter. And what was it he called me earlier – _karalieva?_ – what is that? I don’t even know what _abranyaa_ means! I have so many questions, but have to save them for later, because Jason turns the car a bit to the side and shuts the engine off. Shit. Showtime.

All five of us get out of the car and I feel the light snowflakes stick to my long hair, even though I’ve braided it down to one side so it doesn’t get in the way. Chris grabs my wrist and turns me to him. His huge arms close around me in a steel grip. I love the feeling of being in his arms.

“Abranyaa” he mumbles into my hair while he takes a deep breath that crushes me harder into him. His dark bonding scent exudes from his warm skin and wraps around me like a fog.

“What does that mean?” I ask and pull back a bit so I can look up at him. Chris’ eyes are serious and full of desire.

“There isn’t a direct translation for it” he mumbles to me, while his warm lips press against my forehead.

“The closest I can say is “chosen”, but it is to be understood as chosen to be ‘the one’ for a male.”

Wow. The chosen one? Really? Varmth spreads in my body and I feel a genuine smile spread across my face.

“I can live with that” I answer him with sparkling eyes and the scent of Chris’ bonding becomes stronger.

“What is it you and Ian call each other? _Blizki_?”

Chris smiles widely.

“Ian and I have known each other since we were kids. We are bonded, but not like you and I are. Like I told you last night, there are different kinds of bondings. Ian and I are bonded as friends, as brothers; sworn to protect each other and fight together. It’s like a soulmate-bond.”

“Ready?” Vladimir’s voice interrupts us from our private moment and we turn towards him. Chris nods seriously and I feel a strong hand grab my arm. Ian and Chris have locked eyes and an unspoken conversation happens between them as I switch between the two males’ grips.

“With my life, _blizki_...” Ian growls seriously and Chris nods in recognition. Then he grabs my face and his lips are aggressive and demanding when they meet mine. He lets me go quickly and turns away from me. We all start to walk through the forest as the dawn slowly creeps in on us. Ian’s grip on my arm doesn’t loosen at any time. My legs are so much shorter than the males’ and my stamina so much worse, that Ian and I soon begin to fall behind the others. Or is it on purpose to keep me away from danger?

“Ian?” I ask and Ian stops immediately.

“What is it, female? Are you okay?” he asks concerned and I smile over his protective instinct. He’s almost as bad as Chris. Have I seriously only known this male for a few hours? _Brother_. The word echoes in my mind.

“I'm fine” I reply and Ian exhales in relief, “but I do have some questions for you?”

“Ask whatever you want, Arya. I will answer you” he says calmly and nods to me, as a gesture for me to ask.

“Chris calls me ‘abranyaa’ and he’s told me what it means. The only female for a male?” I start and Ian nods to confirm.

“But is there also a word or an expression for the only male for a female? Her chosen?”

Ian stands completely still, like a statue, and observes me with calmness.

“Is he?” he asks seriously and takes a step closer to me.

“I can smell him all over you. His bonding is old and powerful and it’s in every cell of your body. But have you accepted it? Really accepted it? Are you only his and he is yours?”

I sink hard. Is he seriously asking me that? How much does he know about Dragan?

“I don’t know what you –“ I start, but Ian interrupts me by grabbing my upper arms and pulling me close to him. His grip is hard, but not exactly painful.

“You know _exactly_ what I mean, Arya. Chris told me about Dragan and you. That he has bonded with you too. So when you ask my permission to call my _blizki_ for your _dahari_ , I want to be absolutely sure that you are indeed serious and not just exploiting his feeling for you to save your friend – and that you’re not just playing with him until your other bonded male comes back.”

Ian’s tone is hard and calm, but very serious. I open my mouth to reply, but seriously, what can I say? Can I really blame him for thinking that way? After everything that has happened in the last two weeks? Shit, has it really only been two week since my life changed? Ian shakes his head in disappointment and lets my arms go. He turns and starts to walk again, but the others are already far ahead of us, so far we can’t even see them anymore. I stand back, petrified, with a chaos of thoughts in my head. A cold gust of wind hits me in the face. The scent of Chris’ bonding making my skin blows up in my nose and everything is suddenly crystal clear in my head.

“Ian” I call calmly and he turns towards me. I walk over to him and stare straight up into those green eyes.

“You’re right; I haven’t had the best ability to make decisions lately. I know that. I’ve broken so many promises and changed my mind so many times, that even _I_ am having trouble keeping track.”

I take a deep breath and feel my eyes get wet. Ian’s gaze is hard and waiting, those green eyes darker than before.

“And I know that Dragan has bonded with me too. But I am not his. I don’t know how this bonding-thing works; how a female can accept a bonding or what happens when she does or doesn’t, for that matter. All I know is how my heart longs for Chris when he’s not with me. My body aches for his touch when he pulls away from me. Everything feels cold and empty, because Chris is the warmth of my sun and my life source. Even if Dragan is the father of my child” – I lay my hands protectively on my baby bump – “it wouldn’t matter. I will never be with Dragan. I will never accept his bonding. I have belonged to Chris since I was born. He’s always been my past, even though I didn’t know it back then, and he will be my future and the true father of my child, even if it’s not his by biology. That is... if he’ll still have me if the baby turns out to be Dragan's.”

I close my eyes hard to press the last tears out and dare to take a deep breath. Ian is so quiet and I open my eyes to see his reaction. What? Ian has sunken down on his knees in front of me and he grabs my hand, and hugs it tightly to his chest.

“ _Maya karalieva_ ” he whispers heavily and a mist of warm breath leaves his mouth. The snowflakes fall gently around us.

“Forgive me my doubts about your feelings. I had to make sure you were true in your intentions; to protect my king and _blizki_. Forgive me, my queen.”

Ian shuts his eyes hard and hugs my hand so hard, it almost pains my fingers. I put my free hand over his and fall to my knees in front of him. Ian opens his eyes in surprise.

“No, Arya, you mustn’t-“ he starts but I interrupt.

“ _Of course_ I forgive you, Ian. I have nothing but respect for you for wanting to protect Chris. Your protective instincts and loyalty towards him is something I could never resent, because how could I be mad at something that protects the most precious person in my life?”

I pull our hands to my own chest, despite a bit of resistance from Ian.

“Thank you for protecting him. Thank you for protecting me.”

My eyes get wet. Again. Ian is so calm in front of me and I throw myself around his neck. Gently he puts his huge arms around me as if I was made of glass and he’s afraid to break me.

“ _Dahari_ ” he whispers to me, “the equivalence to _abranyaa_ is _dahari_.”

I nod in understanding. Then Ian pulls out of my arms and drags me with him up. I smile genuinely at him.

“I have so many more questions for you, but I’m almost afraid to ask if you’re going to make a scene like that every time” I smile with sarcasm and Ian exclaims a short-lived laugh.

“Ask anything you want, _maya karalieva_ , I will not mistrust you again” Ian replies with a sad smile and puts his right hand over his heart. The exact same spot where both our hands were just seconds ago.

“What are you calling me?” I ask, as we start to walk down the forest path again. Ian turns to me, but don’t slow down his pace.

“My queen” he replies with a wide smile.

“Your queen? Hey, what was that about you calling Chris king? He’s the king of what?”

Ian opens his mouth to reply, but he’s interrupted by the sight of the cabin that comes in view just ahead of us.

“There you guys were” Jason mumbles from somewhere amongst the trees next to us, and a second later I feel Chris’ hard grasp around my wrist. He pulls me in between the trees and steel grey eyes seek mine.

“You’ve been crying” he states and turns his attention towards Ian.

“Explain.”

“Hormones” I snap quickly and those grey eyes find mine again.

“Hormones?” he repeats sceptically and I nod seriously. I feel the surprise radiate from the other three males, but keep my attention on Chris.

“It wasn’t Ian’s fault, really. We were talking about my...“

I feel my cheeks blush,

“...feelings for _you_ and everything became too much. I started to cry and Ian comforted me before we kept walking” I say with a half smile and sniff once to drive that twisted truth home. Out of the corner of my eye I see Jason light up in a huge smile and even Vladimir has a small smile on his lips, while he mumbles so low it almost can’t be heard: ‘ _females_ ’.

“Are they so bad you have to cry about them?” Chris mumbles while his eyes roam over my face. I smile.

“No, no, Chris, _no_. They’re not bad. They’re _good_. That’s why I was crying. Because I still can’t believe how you can be _you_ and still want me. I mean... I’ve wanted to be yours since that day in the cabin but I never imagined you’d feel the same way about me. So yeah, I’m crying because I’m happy.”

That little revelation has an amazing effect on Chris; he practically glows with satisfaction.

“Hormones” Chris mumbles and pulls me into him. His lips are burning and with the snow falling slowly around us, it’s almost like being in a fairytale. But the grim, impending danger is a dark cloud over our heads. Chris reluctantly lets me go and the second his hands leave my body, Ian’s hand grabs my arm.

“No more waiting” Vladimir growls and leaves the safety of the trees, as he moves towards the cabin with agile, almost soundless movements.

“Oh shit” Jason mumbles before he follows Vladimir, Chris is right behind him. I notice that all three males have pulled a gun out from who-knows-where and hold them in front of themselves with half-bended arms.

“Stay behind me” Ian growls and I nod in accept, while we slowly – and a while later – start to move towards the cabin. Silently and with snowflakes falling around us, we all move towards the dark cabin. A jolt of fear runs thought me, but not because of the situation we’re in. No, my fear is to find an empty cabin. No Bryan, no Megan. Because where is she then? And what can Bryan have time to do to her, before we find them? I try to push the fear to the back of my mind and hug Ian’s hand tightly, while I follow him. Ian turns questioningly to me by the squeeze of his hand, but I just shake my head and nod towards the cabin as a gesture for us to keep moving. Ian hesitates for a second, but then he turns towards the cabin again.

The cabin seems empty and cold as we approach it, but I quickly realise – thanks to the approaching dawn’s light – that there are heavy drapes down the two small windows, preventing all light from entering the cabin, and us from seeing in. Jason makes a hand move signalling for us to stop and slowly approach the front door, but Vladimir ignores him and almost runs up the small steps to the cabin’s little porch.

“V!” Jason calls in a loud whisper, but without any luck. Vladimir kicks open the door with a hard kick and Ian is quick to push me behind his huge body, so that he shadows me completely, while Chris curses loudly. He and Jason run in after Vladimir and they all disappear into the small cabin. The silence is deafening. Shit. It’s the wrong place. They’re not here. Megan... no...

A loud crash sounds and I squeeze Ian’s hand harder and stand a bit closer to him. Protector. He’s my protector. I am safe. Gunshots echo in the forest and my heart skips a beat. Megan! I try to twist out of Ian’s grasp but he’s not letting me go.

“Wait here” he mumbles to me, “give them a second.”

 _A second_? Seconds feels like hours and it’s been at least two whole days when I see Jason appear in the door opening in front of us. He nods to Ian and I almost run into the cold wooden cabin, with Ian just beside me, because I’m almost faster than him in my eager to reach Megan and make sure she’s okay. The cabin is decorated spartanic, with a small entree and a bathroom to the left and a single room to the right which functions as both a bedroom and a living room. I’ve just reached the door to the bedroom / living room when Ian grabs my waist hard and pulls me backwards. I get a very quick glimpse into the room but that’s enough; two unmovable bodies lying on the wooden floor, surrounded by a pool of dark red blood, slowly seeping down the cracks between the floorboards.

“Megan!” I scream for her, but Ian is too fast. His grab around my waist is strong and I cannot _not_ get pulled out of the cabin. I have no control over the tears and sob loudly before throwing myself around Ian’s neck.

“Megan...” I cry into his broad chest and feel those strong arms offer me much needed comfort.

“V?” Ian asks and startled I turn towards the cabin again. Through my tears I am able to see V’s tall shape emerge from the cabin with something small and dark haired in his arms. Megan? I blink away the salty tears and pull out of Ian’s grip. He lets me. Vladimir approaches us with a serious aura around him and his gaze locked on mine. His dark eyes reflect the same as mine; wet, angry, hurt and... loving? Is that really what I can see in those dark mirrors in front of me?

“Megan?” I whisper insecure and slowly reach for that dark mane hanging lifeless in Vladimir’s arms.

“She’s alive” Vladimir whispers to me and I lift my head up in surprise.

“She is?” I choke and quickly run my fingers over my eyes to dry away the tears. Alive? I slowly lift my hand to touch Megan’s cheek and feel the warmth of it underneath my ice cold fingers. Megan!

“She’s hurt, we need to get her to a hospital” Vladimir mumbles and I nod to him.

“Go! Save her!” I exclaim and Vladimir nods once as an accept to me before he turns away and starts walking. I follow his fast movements along the uneven forest path until he’s so deeply into the forest that I can’t see them anymore. Exhausted and burdened by relief and grief at the same time, I feel my legs buckle under me. I reach down to protect my belly from the fall, but it’s not necessary. Strong arms catch me and keep me upright.

“Easy there, female” Chris mumbles to me and lifts me up in his huge arms. The position painfully reminds me of how Vladimir carried Megan in his arms just a few seconds ago.

“Is it over...?”

“It’s over” Chris replies seriously and every cell of my body sags in relief.

“Home...” I whisper against Chris’ neck, while I inhale his deep, warm, masculine scent.

“Take me home.”

The satisfaction radiates off Chris’ body, as I feel his face light up in a broad smile.

“As you wish, Arya” he mumbles to me, and I smile a bit over the familiarity of his words. Chris carries me through the forest and I feel both Ian and Jason’s presence around like, one on each side; protectors.

“Bryan?” I ask in a whisper. Chris’ body tenses.

“He won’t touch you, Megan or anyone else. Ever again” Chris growls violently and a heavy burden falls from my heart.

“Is he...” I whisper, but cannot get myself to say the word ‘dead’. Chris turns his gaze down to me. Very slowly he nods, as if he’s worried about my reaction. I breathe out a sigh of relief and nods to him in gratitude.

“Thank you.”

Chris’ eyebrow lowers.

“Thank you for Bryan being dead?” Chris mumbles insecure and I smile a bit, even at the word ‘dead’.

“Thank you for protecting me and my friend” I whisper back and press my lips against the warm skin on his neck.

“Always” he growls at me. The rest of the walk back to the car is done in silence, but as we get to the place where Jason parked the car, it’s gone. Panic races through me, but then I remember that Vladimir probably took it to get Megan to the hospital. Chris turns to Jason.

“Five minutes” Jason replies without being asked and nods to the road ahead of us.

“They’re coming.”

*

Five minutes later we hear the sound of cars approaching. Two large black Range Rovers appear on the narrow forest path. Ian and Jason enter one of them, while Chris carries me to the other one. He sits us both in the back seat and the car immediately accelerates.

“Please close down, Mike” Chris calls to the driver and I see the back of a male’s head nod, and then a partition closes between us on the back seat and the front of the car with the driver’s seat. The partition has barely finished closing, when Chris is over me. His strong hands grab my face and I’m drowning in his kisses.

“Chris?” I whisper surprised between his kiss, but Chris doesn’t seem to notice. He grabs my waist and pulls me up on his lap, so I’m placed with one leg on each side of his hips. He’s fast to relief me of my jacket and those strong arms close around my upper body in a tight embrace.

“You were so close to danger...” Chris mumbles between his kisses and hugs me even tighter to him. There is a desperation is his movements; a need to make sure I’m safe and still his.

“I’m okay, _dahari_ ” I whisper against his lips. Chris freezes mid-movement and those steel grey eyes seek mine.

“What did you call me?” he asks surprised. Shit. Did I pronounce it wrong?

“ _Dahari_ ” I reply and try to remember how Ian said it.

“Isn’t that how you say it?”

Chris stares at me in disbelief, but then he clears his throat.

“Yes, Arya, that is how you say it. But do you know what it means?”

His voice is serious, even though the desire is right under the surface of his hardness.

“It means that you are mine and I am yours, and that nothing has ever been truer than us” I whisper to him. Carefully I place my cold hands on his face. His steel grey eyes sparkle with pride and ownership, power and lust.

“That’s right, _female_ ” Chris mumbles before he presses his lips to mine.

“I am yours and you are mine.”

I surrender and Chris lets his desire for me overtake everything else. He pushes me back on the back seat and places himself between my legs. His body is heavy and hard, but it’s his dominating behaviour and heavy weight, that makes me feel safer than I’ve ever felt before in my entire life. And I never want to be without it again. Chris pulls down my pants in a fluent movement, pushes my panties aside and the feeling of his thick arousal entering me pushes me off the edge. With no warning at all, my body reach its peak and fire spreads inside me. Chris’ hand covers my mouth to keep my screams muffled, so I moan my orgasm out into his palm, while he keeps moving inside me. He thrusts hard and deep, while his breathing becomes heavier and his movement harder and more demanding. It’s so damned hot. Chris trusts into me without mercy or compassion and oh Mother Nature, I love it. I love... him. I feel him grow inside me as he roars a deep, masculine moan. He is so dominating, so needing for me that my body once again obeys his movements and erupts around him, as I feel the last of my self-control slip away. I orgasm around his hard cock still pumping into me. He buries himself deep inside me as he empties himself of his life-giving fluids. His bonding emerges from his skin and fills the air in the car; slowly seeping into every inch of my skin. Chris sinks down to lie on top of me, while we both breathe heavily.

“Oh I am so not done with you yet...” Chris whispers out of breath and lowers his head to mine. The kiss is warm and surprisingly calm. But my body is screaming for him. Even after two orgasms it’s so ready for more. More of _him_. Chris lets himself fall out of me and sits back into the seat, while he pulls me up with him. I look expectantly at him, but he just pulls up his pants and starts closing them.

“What happened to ‘ _so not done with you yet’_?” I ask disappointed while I look down at my bare legs.

“Oh!”

Without warning, Chris grabs my neck and pushes me back in the seat. Strong fingers penetrate me hard and I scream of the sudden fulfilment. I desperately grab around his thick wrist between my legs, but Chris isn’t affected even a little bit.

“Don’t worry, _female_...There are _lots_ of things I want to do to you, so no, I am not nor will I ever be done with you.”

His fingers enter me deeper and I moan desperately as the other hand tightens its grip around my neck. I breathe hard while I twist under his fingers torturous pleasure.

“But I would prefer to have you lying naked in the softness of my bed, not half-naked on the back seat of a cold car with Mike just behind that partition.”

His voice is dark, deep and seductive. My whole body hums from unreleased orgasm, but Chris is taking his damn time torturing me with his fingers.

“Although... it definitely has its perks” he growls deep and a wide smile spreads across his lips. Those steel grey eyes shine with lust and desire and ownership. His head lowers to mine, while his fingers keep up their torture, making the heat in my abdomen rise even further. A second before it peaks Chris changes his pace and I lose the orgasm, causing me to scream a frustrated ‘NO’ into his mouth.

“What was that, _female_?” Chris mumbles as he picks up the pace again. My body is shaking from heat and I twist my hips to get the orgasm back and take over, but Chris is staling.

“Do you want to cum?”

“Yes...” I beg desperately, so softly that it’s almost inaudible, “please Chris... I want you to make me cum...”

I try to push his hand harder against me to get his fingers deeper into me, but Chris doesn’t even seem to notice. He is in charge. There is absolutely no doubt about that.

“Chris, _please_ ” I beg in pain. His steel grey eyes sparkle with playfulness, lust and seriousness.

“Cum for me” he commands and without warning my body obeys. The hand lets go of my neck, to place itself over my mouth to silence my screams. The wave of heat is spreading from the muscles contracting around his fingers and I arch my back, while I moan deeply into Chris’ warm palm. Very slowly my body seems to settle itself again. Chris pulls out his fingers, but he doesn’t get back up in the seat like before.

“Better?” he mumbles down to me and I smile widely under the hand still covering my mouth. I nod and kiss his palm with my soft lips. Chris smiles back at me and replace his hand with his lips. A soft knock on the partition makes us both almost scream in surprise, while Chris covers my body with his jacket in a quick move. He taps the partition back and very slowly it slides down, just enough for sound to come through but Mike is still facing the road ahead of is.

“I’m sorry to bother you, boss, but your phone will not stop ringing. It seems to be important. Shall I keep it on silent and ignore it?” Mike asks a bit insecure. He clearly doesn’t like bothering us.

“Give it to me” Chris replies and Mike reaches it behind him through the crack in the partition without looking back. The phone barely fits through.

“Thanks, Mike.”

The partition closes again. Chris looks down at the phone and his attitude changes. It’s like his mood darkens, the air inside the car gets heavier and his anger is almost sparkling around us.

“What is it?” I ask insecure and slowly reach for him. Chris’ huge body jerks under my hand and he grabs my wrist hard.

“Chris?” I look down at his huge hand that’s almost crushing my fragile wrist. I slowly put my free hand over it. This seems to wake him. Those steel grey eyes find mine and I see his lips slowly peel back in a growl.

“Dragan” he growls furious and I can feel my own mood change. I move closer to Chris and let my free hand slide up his hard, warm arm. Mine fingers grab around his neck and I pull him down to me. I’m only able to because he lets me, because he follows my movement freely. His lips are hard and tense, but slowly they soften as if he’s surrendering to my gentleness. His hand releases my wrist and both his hands cub my face, as the kiss becomes deeper and more desperate. I press myself in against him; I let his need and his lust for me take over us both. As well as his need to protect me. Slowly the kiss becomes softer and gentler. Chris lays his forehead against mine, still with his huge fists closed around my face.

“Just the thought of him having touched you...” he groans angry. The fury makes his body hard and the air around us heavy.

“Forget the past” I whisper gently and shake his huge shoulders in my hands, “I am yours. Now and forever. Dragan will never touch me again.”

“No, he won’t. No one will” Chris growls. I inhale the dark bonding scent emerging from his skin as it wraps itself around me like a protective cloud.

“You. Are. Mine.”

I smile.

“I. Am. Yours” I whisper back and lift my head to his. He understands without words and presses a light kiss against my lips. I feel a light brush against the bottom of my belly and unconsciously put my hand on my still growing baby-bump. Chris looks down at my hand. Then he pushes it away without asking and replaces it with his own. My eyes get wet at his total possessiveness towards something we don’t even know if it is his. I gently put my own hands over his huge hand covering my belly. He lets his hands rest there as he picks up his phone again. Still without moving it, he puts the phone to his ear.

“Cousin” he growls seriously into the phone and I can feel his body harden, while his hand feels heavy on my belly. I feel a soft brush against the skin under his hand; it’s like air bubbles dancing around inside my belly. It’s the most insane feeling. Shit. Can Chris feel it too? He doesn’t acknowledge it, as his attention is focused on the phone and what must be Dragan on the other end. I cannot hear his replies, only the soft buzz of his voice.

“Fine. If that’s the best you can do. No, I’m not, but I’ll be home in a few hours. Yes.”

Chris’ voice is like ice.

“Yes. She’s right here. Safe and sound.”

Oh shit. ‘She’ must be me. Who else? Now Dragan’s voice is a shouting I can actually hear myself. And it’s not a pleasant shouting, if there even is such a thing. Dragan isn’t just angry. He’s furious. Chris’ body hardens, the air around his thickens and I sink hard. I slowly lean in against Chris’ shoulder and rest my head on his arm. His body is ridged and stiff, but after a brief moment I feel him give in to my presence and his arm sneaks around my shoulders in a protective gesture.

“I didn’t force her with me, cousin. This is beyond you and your bonding for her. No. No, I promised never to hurt her and I intend to keep that promise. But I won’t reject her when she comes to me, no matter what you threaten to do. Because we both know that your threats are empty. And that it’s _her_ choice.”

Dragan's reply makes the muscles in Chris’ arm tighten around me. He hugs me tightly and I feel his fingers bore into my shoulder. Ouch. Chris turns his head towards me and tips the phone down to me. What? Do I want to talk to him? No way! I shake my head and make a move to pull away, but Chris won’t let me go. He nods once before putting the phone to his own ear again.

“She’s sleeping. And I have absolutely no intentions of waking her. We will discuss this in a few hours when I get home.”

Chris’ voice is still like ice and he ends the conversation without a goodbye.

“You lied for me” I whisper against his chest while putting my arm around his stomach. I let my body sink down so my head is resting on Chris’ huge thighs. His grip around my shoulders tightens.

“You have no idea of what I am willing to do for you, abranyaa. Lying is the least of it” Chris mumbles and gently strokes my hair. He grabs my braid and twists it around his hand. Clearly satisfied with having one arm around me and a firm grip around my hair, Chris leans back in the seat. I feel his body sink down a bit and let my own body relax too the more I feel him fall asleep.


	20. Goodbye D and hello punishment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description, violence.

The transition to sleep is uneasy and I’m actually not really sure what’s dream and what’s reality. I’m standing by the lake cabin close to Chris’ mansion and the landscape around me is covered in snow. The light is so shining that it’s blinding me. Everything around me is white. My hands hug my very pregnant belly, while I feel myself being pulled further away from the mansion. Danger. There’s danger in the mansion. I’m in danger. My baby is in danger. Suddenly, as if materialised out of the air, Dragan and Chris are standing next to each other in front of me. In the blinding light Chris’ hair looks white as the snow while Dragan’s is black as the night sky. They are each other’s opposites, day and night, but still, there is something similar about them. They look the same but not. I look down on my huge belly and can clearly feel the baby kick against my hands. Wow. How pregnant am I? My belly is huge. Is it almost time? Who’s the father? I lift my head to see Chris standing right in front of me. Dragan is nowhere to be seen. Where is he? I look around and almost yelp in surprise when I see him standing right next to me. So close. He reaches for me. No... this is wrong. Chris! I turn to him, reach for him, but his face is hard, cold and rejecting. Chris? Dragan grabs me, I feel his strong arms around my waist but when I turn to look at him, it’s not Dragan anymore. A strange male is smiling down at me, his face radiates triumph. What? Who is this? He’s probably in his mid 50’s, but clearly in an impressive shape for his age. He’s tall, just as tall as Chris. His hair is silver, and his beard is dark with silver strains in it. It’s the beard and the small wrinkles around his eyes that tell me his age. If not for those, I might have guessed him to be in his mid 40’s instead. His upper body is hard and broad, and I can see dark tattoos sneak up from under his shirt to his neck, all the way up to his jaw line. His attitude is arrogant and his grip around me is hard. Chris! I scream for him, scream for him to save me from this strange male who’s a danger to me. A danger to my child. Those dark grey eyes in front of me seem familiar, but I can’t place them because I’m too occupied by the panic racing through me. His grip around me tightens and I can hardly breathe. A sharp stab of pain shoots through my belly, like a steel band tightening around me inside. Shit! The birth. It’s happening now. I scream for Chris again, but the male in front of me just laughs arrogantly at my desperate screams for a male who cannot or will not save me. Another stab of pain shoots through me and the last thing I seem is those dark eyes glowing with power, triumph and arrogance.

I wake up startled with a jerk and sit up in the car. Or, I try to sit up in the car, because Chris still has a firm grip around my braid. So in my attempt to sit up I pull his hand with me, which makes Chris wake up with a jerk and pull my braid – and me by default – down on his thighs again.

“Ah!” I exclaim from the pain in my head and Chris immediately releases my braid.

“Arya!” he mumbles as he helps me up, “are you okay?”

Am I okay? A chill goes through me. Shit. What a nightmare. I look up at Chris and remember how he rejected me in that dream. My eyes get wet.

“Dammit, female, talk to me” he pleads and grabs for my hand. I feel the first tear fall down.

“It was just a nightmare” I whisper. I hug his hand in both my own.

“I dreamt that you rejected me. I was about to go into labour but you rejected me, because Dragan had me. But then he turned into someone else, a male I didn’t know. He was older than you, much older, but clearly a male. He held me away from you and I was screaming for you, but you didn’t come. You didn’t save me.”

I almost whisper the last sentence. Chris’ free hand grabs my jaw.

“That was a bad and unrealistic dream, Arya. A nightmare indeed. No one will ever be able to keep me away from you. As long as you are mine, as long as you want me and want to be mine.. I will protect you with my life. I will do anything in my power and much, much more than that to protect you and your child.”

His words are surprisingly calm and serious. I nod as if I understand, as those huge arms wrap around me. Safety. This is where I belong. ‘ _Your child’_. Not our child. But is it? Is the baby Chris’? Shit. That question will haunt me until the baby is born with either blonde or dark air, or a blood test can show me the result of the paternity.

*

The car makes a sharp turn and shortly thereafter it stops altogether. Neither Chris nor I get the chance to react, before the door in my side is forcefully opened and a pair of strong hands reaches in for me.

“Hey!” I exclaim in surprise, but let myself get pulled out of the car, out into the strong sunlight of noon. Shit, Dragan! I twist my hands free of his hold, but he pushes me behind him so he’s between me and Chris who’s just stepped out of the car. Standing between a male and his bonded female? Bad idea. Bad, bad idea.

“Cousin” Chris growls angry and the air around him is charged with his fury. Charged with his bonding and his need to protect me. I see Jason and Ian step out of the other car and surround us so that they together with Chris form a triangle of protection of me. Dragan looks around as if he’s confused. Then he turns towards me, takes a step closer to me and takes a deep breath. Oh no... Dragan’s eyes become black with anger. He turns towards Chris who’s standing completely still and patient, but oh, his fury is sparkling around him like a force of electricity; an aura of fury. It makes Dragan’s anger seems like a child’s tantrum.

“You’ve...”

Dragan struggles to find the right words in his state of anger. He almost can’t control himself enough to speak.

“You’ve bonded with _my girl_?”

Oh shit. Chris holds Dragan’s gaze without replying, but then his hard eyes search for mine. The panic is racing through my blood and I shake my head in disbelief. This is just not happening! I’ve feared this confrontation since the first time I heard Chris’ demand on the phone about trading my life for Professor Howard’s.

“She is _not your female_ ” Chris growls hard. I desperately reach for him, but Dragan stands in my way. Something hard flashes in Chris’ steel grey eyes. I can smell his bonding all the way over here. Shit. I have to do something! Quickly!

“Dragan, please stop!” I yell desperately and reach for his arm to hold him back. He turns a bit towards me with confusion all over his face.

“Why? He’s fucking bonded with you!”

I sink hard, desperately searching for the right words to use. My eyes instinctively want to search for Chris, but I keep them at Dragan. This is something I need to do. This stand-up for myself is something I have to do myself.

“I know he has bonded with me and that he has claimed me for his own; that’s why you need to stop” I reply quietly. Dragan stares at me in disbelief. Then he turns towards Chris.

“You fucking asshole...You’ve brainwashed her!” he spits at Chris. Chris snorts arrogantly back, while his eyes flicker to me.

“At least I didn’t have to rape her. She _chose_ to be with _me_.”

Ho-ly-shit. He did _not_ just say that. It’s like everyone becomes statues that’s completely still, just staring at the scene in disbelief. Except me. I stare at Chris while I mouth ‘what the fuck’ and then I look at both Jason and Ian. Jason looks like he can’t believe what is happening in front of him, but Ian looks pained. Like the words have pained him to hear. Maybe they have. But Dragan... Shit. Dragan explodes. He lunches forward at Chris and I desperately reach for his arm to hold him back.

“Dragan stop! Don’t do it! He’ll kill you!” I scream at him while I use all my strength to hold him back. As if I could even if he let me.

“Listen to her, cousin. If you want to live, that is...” Chris says casually and arrogantly. I roll my eyes.

“Shut up, Chris! You’re not helping!” I scream at him, gritting my teeth. Dragan turns towards me and stares at me in disbelief.

“What the fuck, Arya? You’re defending him now?” Dragan spits at me, and I let him go to move in between the two males.

“Shut up, both of you!” I snap, looking from one to the other. Chris bows his head a bit in agreement as he accepts my command, but Dragan isn’t accepting anything.

“You do _not_ talk to me that way, girl” he growls, baring his teeth at me. I stand my ground, but feel Chris move in closer to me, and both Ian and Jason do the same.

“Chris” I snap with gritted teeth, still keeping my eyes on Dragan.

“Give us a second.”

“There is absolutely _no_ chance of me leaving you alone with _him_ , Arya” Chris replies calmly and arrogantly. I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

“Fine” I spit, still looking at Dragan but addressing Chris, “then at least give us some space to talk.”

Chris seems to think about this for a moment, and then I see him nod to both Jason and Ian. All three males step back a bit, still keeping their eyes on me but with enough distance for me and Dragan to be able to talk almost privately.

“What the fuck is going on?” Dragan growls hard while he reaches out for me. I let him grab my upper arms, hearing the angry growl of disapproval from Chris as clearly as if he was standing in front of me.

“It’s fine, he’s not hurting me” I mumble to Chris without looking at him. Then I take a deep breath.

“Dragan” I sigh, looking up at his angry eyes, “you need to let me go.”

Dragan snorts at me. Yeah, exactly like Chris would have done. They really are cousins.

“Why the fuck would I do that, Arya? You’re mine. I’ve bonded with you. I took you first.”

I resist the urge to laugh hysterically. I shake my head instead.

“I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours. I belong with Chris. It’s always been Chris. You were my way to him; your part was to get me to him and I know that –“

“What the fuck are you talking about, girl?”

“That’s what I’m talking about! _I’m not a girl_. I’m a female” I exhale, trying to keep myself calm.

“No. You’re not. You’re human?” Dragan replies, but his words drip of confusion. I shake my head.

“I’m not human. I’m one of you. I’ve always been one of you. My family name is Hathaway.”

Now Dragan is the one shaking his head.

“The Hathaways are all dead. They died a long time ago. None survived.”

My turn to shake my head.

“No, I survived. My brother survived. My birth name is Aryanne. I am the daughter of Odrian and Annabelle. My parents betrothed me to Chris when I was a baby, bonding me to him and no one else. Didn’t you ever wonder why I never accepted your bonding?” I ask challenging.

“No. You didn’t accept it because you’re human. They don’t bond.”

“Then take another whiff, because like you said, Chris has bonded with me and I _have_ accepted it” I say hard.

“I accepted it a long time ago, but didn’t even know it myself.”

Dragan’s eyes almost blacken with anger. He is _so_ not accepting this. I exhale resignedly.

“Look, I know this is hard for you to accept. But you need to do it anyway and then let me go. I’m not yours. I’ll never be yours, Dragan.”

His grip on my arms tightens and all three males step in closer to us. Dragan looks around with murder in his eyes.

“Do not tell me you don’t feel something for me, girl. And what about the baby? _My_ baby in your belly? Don’t tell me that is a lie too!” Dragan growls at me. I shake my head.

“I don’t know, D. I just don’t know. It might be yours. It might be Chris’. But it doesn’t change anything. Because no matter whom the father is, I am still _Chris’ female_. And I don’t feel anything for you. You kidnapped me. You raped me. You tore me from my life and my stability, and you killed Martin just because he wouldn’t let go of me. So what now, is Chris supposed to kill you because you refuse to let me go too? I am your _victim_ , for fuck sake. You shouldn’t feel anything for me, just as I feel nothing for you. The fact that you think you feel something, just proves that –“

Dragan snaps. His grip tightens as he pulls me backwards into his arms and locks them around me, just as I feel the cold steel against my throat. Shit. Not again.

“I don’t give a fuck if you don’t feel something for me. I _own_ you. You are _mine_ ” Dragan growls into my ear. The fear is pounding through me. Snap! A low popping sound vibrates through the air and I feel Dragan’s body smack into mine as he stumbles forward. His hold on me loosens and I am quick to pull myself out of it and away. I run into Ian’s huge arms and he tightens them around me to protect me. _Brother_. I turn in Ian’s arm to see Dragan sitting on his knees in front of me with a hand to his stomach and a huge blood red stain spreading down his shirt. Shit. Did someone really shoot him? I look past Dragan to see Chris standing with his gun out in front of him and his face is a hard mask of determination, fury and superiority. Yes, Chris did really just shoot Dragan. He points the gun at Dragan again and I see the determination in his steel grey eyes.

“Chris, don’t” I whisper in horror. He looks up at me, confused and disbelieving.

“Don’t what?”

“Don’t kill him, please.”

Chris’ eyebrow shoots up in disbelief.

“Are you serious, female? He just threatened you and he was not about to let you go!” Chris yells at me. I nod quietly.

“I know. But don’t kill him, please. _For me_. I don’t want any more dying for me.”

I pull myself out of Ian’s arms and slowly move towards Chris. I make sure to stay out of Dragan’s reach, but I keep my eyes on Chris. I step in close to him. I can feel the warmth of his body radiate towards me. In a quick movement, Chris’ arm grabs around me and pulls me into his arm hard as he steps back with me; away from Dragan, away from the danger. Jason and Ian both grab Dragan and pull him up from the ground, while they look to Chris for confirmation on what to do. Chris growls into my hair as he inhales deep and hugs me tighter.

“Chris, _please_ ” I plead against his chest while I wrap my arms around him.

“Fine. Let him leave” he calls to Ian and Jason. I try to turn around in his arm and he reluctantly lets me. I see Dragan’s dark eyes shine of defeat. A stab of pity echoes in my heart. Why do I even feel that? Why do I even care?

“Leave. And never come back. If I see you anywhere near Arya again, she will not be able to save your life.”

Chris’ voice is hard and commanding. He’s the powerful Chris Ozera right now, the male who’s dangerous and scary as fuck. But he’s still _my male_. Dragan mumbles something none of us can hear, before he turns away from us and leaves. He actually leaves. I sigh in relief as I close my eyes.

“Come” Chris mumbles to me as he starts pushing me towards the mansion, “let’s get you into a hot bath and then in some dry clothes.”

I follow him obediently; even if I wanted to resist, I don’t have the strength for it. I keep seeing Dragan’s dark eyes shine with defeat mixed with the thought of what I will do if the baby really is Dragan’s.

I’m shaking. Damn. I’m cold. I’m so cold. Why am I freezing? I let Chris lead me into the mansion and up to _our_ bedroom. I’m still shaking. It can’t be just from coldness, can it? Maybe I’m shaking because of adrenaline? I don’t know. Chris pushes me out into the bathroom and his savvy fingers loosen my braid with ease and I fell my long, now loose hair fall gently down my back. Chris runs his hands through it and I see his lips part ever so slightly. The sight makes heat shoot through my body and my heart beats a little faster. Wow. Such a small movement – parting his lips – and it’s enough to make my body get ready for him. Chris’ lips pull up in a triumphant smile but I see him try to contain it.

“Shower first” he mumbles. I sigh displeased, but don’t resist him as he undresses me and pushes me into the shower. He turns on the water and the cold rays hit me like ice. I yelp in surprise, but as I look up, I see a smile form on Chris’ lips. He doesn’t say anything. I stand under the water as it slowly gets hotter while I watch my male undress himself. My eyes follow every little movement he makes while he removes all the pieces of his clothes one by one. He’s now standing in front of me as naked as the day he was born and a stab of excitement jolts through my heart. This is my male. This powerful and absolutely incredible and very handsome male in front of me is my male. Mine. His cock is half erect and I bite my own lip by the sight of it. It jerks in response and I look up into Chris’ steel grey eyes. Ho-ly-shit. He is gorgeous. He radiates sex and power and masculinity and dominance. I smile expectantly to him while I move a bit back in the shower and bite my lip again.

“Are you going to join me?” I ask slowly while keeping my lip between my teeth. Chris’ face lights up with lust.

“Nothing could keep me from joining you” he groans and steps into the shower. The soft rays of warm water hits his shoulders and I follow the sight of the stream down the dark tattoos on his wide chest, all the way down over his hard abdomen and those huge thighs.

“Before you get any ideas...” Chris mumbles and reaches for me. He pulls me in under the warm water and pushes my jaw up so the water can run through my long hair.

“You need to be washed.”

Yes sir. I let Chris wash my hair and my body. His rough hands run smoothly over my every inch of my skin as he covers me in soap. I can feel the warmth of his hands spread throughout my body where it ends as heat between my legs. When I am completely clean, Chris quickly washes himself with surprisingly fast movements. With me he was careful and gently and thorough, but with himself he’s more efficient. My eyes track those huge hands as they quickly – too quickly! – rub the soap over the tight skin and those many tattoos who are covering so much of his enormous body. I reach out and place a gentle hand on his chest. The tips of my fingers follow the soft, light scar all the way from his collarbone to the bottom of his hips where it ends.

I lift my eyes to ask how he got that scar, but instead I gasp softly by what I see; Chris’ face is twisted in agony and his eyes are so vulnerable, that fear runs through my blood.

“What?” I exhale insecure and reach for Chris with both my hands. He grabs my wrists in his huge palms and holds my hands in front of him for a brief second, before pushing me backwards into the ice cold wall behind me. He holds my hands firmly against the wall on both sides of my head as he shakes his own head like he’s trying to shake his thoughts away.

“In spite of everything you have said... and everything that has happened between us the last few days... seeing you standing behind Dragan and hearing you beg me to not attack him even though he was threatening you...”

Chris shakes his head in anger and fixates his hard eyes on me.

“You wanted to save him more than yourself.”

His hard voice breaks and the pain of hearing is breaks my heart. Oh no. No, Chris. Don’t think like that.

“Chris...” I whisper and feel my eyes get wet. How the Hell am I going to explain it so he understands?

“It wasn’t to save Dragan. It was to save you.”

Chris widens his eyes in surprise and disbelief.

“Save me?” he snorts arrogantly, “Dragan wouldn’t have won if it had come down to a fight. I would have killed him instantly.”

I clear my throat before answering while I twist my hands in discomfort, but Chris isn’t letting me go.

“Yes, you would have killed him. And you would have lost me too. How could I be with a male who could so easily kill over his own insecurity?” I whisper calmly, but Chris misunderstands.

“I killed Bryan for you and you thanked me for it!” he yells confused and I nod quietly.

“Bryan was an evil male who wanted to kill an innocent female. He deserved everything that you and V did to him” I reply firmly and take a deep breath searching for the right words.

“You killed Bryan to protect me and Megan and probably a lot others whom he would have hurt in the future. But Dragan... he didn’t try to kill me. He didn’t hurt me and he-“

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Chris spits furiously and if I wasn’t already pinned against the wall I would have stepped back in fear.

“He _raped_ you! Why are you denying that? Why are you acting like he isn’t as evil as Bryan was? Why are you defending him?”

“Because you want to kill him for yourself!” I snap back with tears falling from my eyes. I close them briefly before looking up at Chris again.

“I am not defending Dragan because he’s a good male. I’m not defending him period. But you killing Bryan was necessary to protect me and my friend. I respect that and I accept that. You wanting to kill Dragan is not necessary and you only want to kill him because you’re jealous of him having touched me before you. You want to kill him for yourself, not for me or because of what he did to me. You want to kill him because you don’t trust me to stay with you even though I have told you I will never leave you. Because _I am yours_. So trust me when I say, that I feel nothing for Dragan and the only reason why I don’t hate him for what he did to me, is because it lead me to you. He found me and brought me into your world and because of him you were able to find me. Finally. I belong in your world, Chris. Because this is my world too. I belong with you.”

Chris’ chest is pumping up and down as if he’s just run a marathon. I see the pain in his eyes soften and as I try to twist my hands free he lets me. His hands are placed on both sides of my face as he traps me between him and the wall behind me and his arms on both my sides. I reach up to place my hands on both sides of his handsome face and pull his head down to mine.

“I belong with you” I repeat whispering as I press my lips gently against Chris’. He hesitates for just a second before he responds to my kiss. I let my hands slide behind his neck and cling to Chris’ huge upper body as he pins me harder against the wall and deepens the kiss between us. I am trapped between the icy cold wall and Chris’ flamingly hot body, and I don’t even want to escape. I am drowning in his kiss and surrender to this amazing male in front of me, just as I feel him surrendering to me. The kiss deepens further. It expresses the deep desire between us and the need from both of us to confirm the other’s feelings. No one is denying it or rejecting it. We are both confirming each other. I can feel Chris’ hard cock throb against my belly and cling even more to him. His hands release the wall and grab my ass instead. I gasp in surprise as he tightens his grip and lifts me from the ground so I can swing my legs around his hips. He pushes me in against the cold wall again with a hard shove.

“Chris...” I whisper pleadingly and Chris stop kissing me.

“What is it, female?” he whispers back, as he grip on my ass tightens. It’s bordering painful but my body is humming from joy.

“Spank me” I whisper with my eyes closed. I am a coward. I don’t even dare say it to his face as my words surprise the both of us. I didn’t even know that was what I wanted to say! But it’s the truth. It’s exactly what I want to – and need – in this very moment. I need him to spank me, to punish me for going against his need to protect me and kill whoever threatens me when I saved Dragan. I need him to spank me to establish his dominance and ownership over me. I need him to spank me so hard that I beg him for mercy as my buttocks are burning with fire. How can I even have that need? I’ve never been spanked before and I’ve never been turned on by pain. But it’s not even the pain I’m needing right now; it’s Chris’ power. It’s his bonding. I need to feel like his and feel like I’m completely in his power. To feel that I am still his and that he still wants me. Flashbacks to our first time together where he spanked me flash through my head and my buttocks remember the sweetness of the pain so clearly.

“Excuse me?” Chris asks astonished and I feel the blush spread from my cheeks down to cover my chest and breasts. I open my eyes. Those steel grey eyes in front of me are glowing with desire, power and anticipation.

“You want to be punished?”

I nod very slowly as I keep my eyes focused on Chris. He pulls his brows down a bit.

“I thought you didn’t like being punished.”

I shake my head slowly.

“I don’t. Only when _you_ do it” I whisper very quietly as I bite my lip.

“What do you want to be punished for?”

I shake my head as I try to keep focused on Chris.

“Everything. Nothing. Does it even matter?”

“Yes, it matters, Arya” Chris replies seriously and I sigh insecure.

“I’m sorry I forced you to stop. I’m sorry that I defended Dragan. I’m sorry that I emasculated you when I forced you to let him leave.”

I’m rambling. I can hear it myself. Chris’ eyes are hard as they stare down at me.

“Is that what you want to be punished for – because you feel like you _emasculated_ me out in the front yard?” he asks seriously and I nod very quietly. Chris snorts arrogantly as his body becomes even harder.

“Shit, female. You need not to worry about emasculating me. I’m a bonded thoroughbred male. You couldn’t emasculate me even if you actually tried to on purpose. I let Dragan leave because you begged me to. I did it to please you; to keep you safe and happy. I have nothing to punish you for, nor will I ever have anything to punish you for. You are my female and I will never hurt you.”

I sink hard as I let all of Chris’ words sink in. Those steel grey eyes hold mine and I see something in them shift.

“But if you want to be spanked – not as a punishment but as me dominating that amazing ass of yours – I am more than willing to grant you your request.”

I widen my eyes in surprise. Chris’ face lights up in triumph.

“So, what’s it going to be, _female_? You want me to _spank_ you?”

I slowly nod. The smile on Chris’ face widens and he radiates superiority and triumph. I see the determination form in his face as it takes over everything else.

“Come” he says hard and pulls me down from the wall. In a matter of seconds he has dried us both and pulled me into the bedroom. Instead of guiding me to the bed as I expect him to do, he pushes me to the desk and stands me in front of the chair.

“Stay” he orders and I stand still as a statue while I hear him roam around the bedroom behind me. Drawers are being opened and closed again. Suddenly I feel his hands grabbing my hair and I scream in surprise. Chris gathers my hair behind my back before he covers my eyes with a black scarf or something as a blindfold. The world becomes black. I hear movement behind me. I gasp as I feel Chris grab both my arms from in front of me before he begins to tie my hands together with what feels like a rope, but it’s soft and thick. Chris pulls my hands forward and I can feel the seat of the chair under my palms as he ties my bound hands to the chair. Oh shit. What have I asked him to do? I am bend forward while being blindfolded, my hands are tied to a chair and my ass is naked and right in front of Chris’ warm body.

“Spread your legs” Chris groans behind me with a hard tone and I obey immediately. I hear him moan of satisfaction.

“This...” he mumbles and grab my ass hard. I jerk in surprise.

“This is quite possibly my favourite position to see you in.”

His warm hands are massaging my ass firmly and it pinches my bare butt cheeks.

“AH!” I yell surprised when the first slap lands on my left buttocks. I sink down in my knees in sheer surprise and a little bit because it hurts.

“Too gentle? You want it harder”? Chris asks hard and seriously. I quickly shake my head.

“No!” I reply. Chris grabs my ass again and my whole body shakes in anticipation and fear. Oh-no. Smack! Ah! Another slap lands on my ass, this time it’s my right buttocks that’s taking the hit, no pun intended. Another slap. And another. My knees buckle under me, but Chris grabs my hips and pulls me up again. His warm fingers slide down my crack and I moan loudly from the intimate touch. Two long finders slide up into my head and I almost orgasm right here and now. Just as quickly as they entered me, they’re gone and I am about to object when – shit! – _another_ slap lands across my ass. I feel both my buttocks burn red and sore, but the heat from the pain is turning into fire in my abdomen. Without any sort of warning, Chris suddenly pushes his thick, hard cock into me and I scream from the sudden fulfilment. He’s barely all the way in when my body caves under the pressure and I’m overwhelmed by the sudden orgasm raging through my muscles. Shit. I was _so_ not prepared for that! Chris pulls himself out of me and I hear him move around.

“Open your mouth” he commands. His hard, warm and wet cock slides in between my lips. I can taste the light salty taste of myself. He pushes his cock deeper into my mouth and it feels hard against the back of my palate, almost all the way down my throat. I can actually feel the head of that thick cock being pushed down my throat now and I can feel how my throat gags around if while I breathe troubled. Chris pulls out of my mouth and I gasp for air with drool running down my jaw to the chair. I can do nothing about it as I am bound and blindfolded and completely in the mercy of Chris’ power. That thick cock enters my mouth again and Chris lets it slide in and out for a bit while I close my lips around it and suck gently. I can hear the satisfied moans from Chris while he grabs my long hair and twists it around his hand. His grip is hard and firm allowing him to push his cock deeper into my mouth. I open as much as I can and feel how it slides down my throat, so deep down that I can feel the soft hairs on his pelvis tickle the tip of my nose. Shit. I’ve never done this before. It’s an overload of all my senses, a violent invasion of my body but I trust Chris completely. He would never hurt me. I gasp for air as Chris pulls himself out to let me breathe for a few second before he presses himself into my mouth again. His grip on my hair tightens and I can feel his hard cock throb down my throat. He moans deeply and heavily. I try to push my tongue forward to make more room for the hard length in my throat. That little move makes his whole body jerk.

“Shit, Arya!” Chris yells and I feel warm, thick sprays of sperm shoot down my throat. I swallow everything he shoots into me while his cock is still buried in my throat. I gag as the last spasm penetrates Chris’ huge body and then he pulls his now half-soft cock out of my mouth. I swallow again. A few second later Chris has untied the blindfold and my hands from the chair. He pulls me into his huge arms and kiss me deeply and devouringly. Wow. My knees buckle a bit as I am only held up by Chris’ strong arms.

“How was that for a spanking, miss Hathaway?” Chris mumbles against my lips. The sound of my name sends chills down my spine. Shit. Hathaway. Guess that’s me. I giggle very quietly as a reply.

“Oh was that a spanking, Mr. Ozera?” I smile teasingly and dare to look up at him. His face changes from smiling to serious in less than a second. Oh shit. What am I doing?!

“You want more?” Chris asks with a raised eyebrow and I swallow hard. Do I want more? More spanking? Harder spanking? I gently bite my lips as I ponder his words. His eyes hold mine while I very slowly nod my head. The seriousness in his face is replaced with an overriding triumph and the power is glowing from those steel grey eyes. Without warning at all, Chris puts his hand between my legs and pushes three fingers into me hard and fast. I exclaim in surprise and grab those broad shoulders to keep balanced.

“Chris!” I gasp, but Chris doesn’t care.

“You are _so_ much mine” he mumbles into my hair while I cling to him as his hard fingers play with my most sensitive spot. My legs give in and I moan deeply while I feel the heat starts to spread in my abdomen.

“Oh no, Arya” Chris groans deeply and quickly pulls his fingers out of me to keep me from orgasm’ing. His arms hold me up as I moan displeased. Chris is quick to grab the rope from the chair and he pulls my hands forward before he ties my hands again. My pulse is fast and almost hyper as Chris pulls my hands up above my head.

“Hmm” he mumbles before he grabs the chair and jumps up on it. What the...? What is he doing?! Chris pulls the rope up and my arms are being forced up above my head. I look up. Shit. He’s about to tie the rope to one of the lamps in the ceiling. I stand almost completely stretched with my arms held high; completely naked and unable to move anything but my legs. The satisfaction radiates from Chris’ huge body and I can smell his dark scent caressing me.

“This position is almost as good as the other one. Not quite, but definitely in my top 10 positions to see you in” he mumbles with warm eyes that glow from lust and power and dominance.

“Alright” he says and steps in close to me. My pulse is racing hard.

“You wanted more spanking.”

Shit. I _did_ say that. Chris moves behind me and I can hear him disappear into the bathroom. Then the sound of clothes being ruffled. Chris comes back into the bedroom. I can feel him standing very close behind me, so close that my ass and back can feel the heat from his body.

“Are you ready, female?” he whispers into my ear. I slowly sink hard. And nod. I will never forget the sound of leather swinger through the air and – SMACK! – something long and wide is being smacked hard across my ass. I scream loudly from surprise and pain. Shit. He’s spanking me with his _leather belt!_ How humiliating is that!? Another spanking thunders down across my ass and I scream again. Shit. This is so intense and transboundary and painful. Another spank. Another scream. Then I feel the belt being pulled up my spine and I arch my back in a desperate attempt to escape the feeling of it. Chris pulls the belt up above my head and I gasp loudly, when he puts it around my neck making sure to lift my hair free. I lift my chin and let him buckle the belt around my throat like a collar. His hands grab my breasts and hold them firmly. I gasp from the intense feeling. My body is hyper sensitive after that painful spanking and everything feels more intense than before. My nipples are hard and hungry for attention. Chris is not disappointing them. He massages my breasts hard, firmly and for a long time. I feel them become sore and red. Then Chris grabs both my nipples between his fingers and squeezes them hard. I scream with pain and pleasure. Shit. It’s almost too much. Almost, but Chris seems to know exactly how far he can push me because he’s stopping just before my limit. As if he knows just how much I can take and how hard I can take it. Does he know? While his hands are playing with my breasts, I can feel his hard cock pushing against my ass and it jerks with anticipation for each moan I let slip out between my lips. I can feel it jerk harder as Chris bends his knees a bit and puts his head in between my hair to take a deep breath. One hand release my breast and I can feel the belt being pulled back, so I have to arch my back even more and throw my head backwards to avoid being choked. My hair is loosely hanging between us. I can feel it tickle my back and the top of my ass being pressed in against Chris’ groin. The other hand releases my other breast and slides down my belly. Strong fingers slowly enter my heat and I moan deeply from pleasure, still with my head almost vertically back towards Chris. His warm breath is on my neck a second before his teeth and he scrapes them hard across my sensitive skin. I moan as reply.

“Is this hard enough for you, female?” Chris whispers warmly into my ear and I want to nod, but his hard grip on the leather belt is not allowing me any movement.

“Yes” I gasp. I sense the satisfaction is Chris’ body.

“Do you want me to stop?” he asks with his mouth close to my neck as he pushes his fingers deeper into me.

“No” I whisper almost soundless. Chris chuckles against my neck.

“Tell me how you want to be spanked, Arya” Chris mumbles and I curse inside. Why do I have to say it? Why can’t he just be creative and take charge?

“Spank me... take me hard... Do whatever you want with me... just don’t stop touching me...” I whisper weakly. The belt is so tight around my throat that I can barely speak, but it’s not tight enough to actually strangle me.

“I will _never_ stop touching you” he mumbles and those strong fingers press harder into me. I gasp for air. My insides become hotter and I can feel the now familiar feeling of the orgasm starting to take form inside me. I am seconds from coming, when Chris pulls out his fingers and release the belt. I scream in frustration. What happened to ‘never stop touching me’?!

“Chris, please!” I moan as I twist my body to get the feeling of the orgasm back. The absence of his warm body and proficient hands is like a bucket of ice water. I hear the chair being pulled across the floor before Chris steps up on it. He releases the rope from the lamp and my arms fall heavily down in front of me. Ouch. They’re a bit tired and sore. But I am so horny that I almost don’t notice it. Chris grabs the end of the rope and pulls me forward towards the bed. He shoves me down on to it face first. I fall without being able to soften the fall in any way. Chris grabs my ankles and pulls me towards him so my legs fall off the bed. I’m lying on my knees with my upper body still on the bed. He quickly unties the rope only to force my arms behind my back and ties my wrists together again. My hands are lying on the small of my back, bound and completely restrained. Chris moves around the bedroom, but the position on the bed makes me unable to see what he’s doing.

“Chris?” I ask insecure. Shit. This waiting time is driving me crazy. What is he doing? Come back! I wrickle my ass a bit as I try to get the heat back in my abdomen. Smack! Chris is back and the belt is thundering across my ass.

“Av! Shit!” I scream in shear surprise. Chris throws the belt down next to my head.

“Be still, female” be groans behind me. His warm hands start to massage my red and very sore ass with – what? Some kind of lube? Or oil? It’s a sweet and warm fluid. His savvy fingers move closer and closer to my asshole and the adrenaline is rushing through my blood. Shit. Is this what I wanted when I asked to be punished? _Anal_? One of his thumbs slide into my ass and I moan into the bed, while I feel how the fluid is making Chris’ finger slide into my ass without resistance. I twist my arms in a desperate and futile attempt to, what? Make him stop? All I have to do is say stop and he will stop. But is that what I want?

“Chris...” I moan into the bed. His finger presses deeper into my ass. Then he pulls it out completely and I exhale in relief until I feel something cold press against my asshole. Shit. It’s the buttplug from our first meeting. The cold glass slides into my ass, well helped by Chris’ strong fingers and the effective lube. I moan deep from the feeling of a foreign object filling my asshole out completely. Chris’ huge hands massage my buttocks and I can feel how the heavy buttblug moves inside my ass to the rhythm of Chris’ massage. Then his hands slide down my buttocks and three warm fingers enter me from behind. I moan deeply. Chris pulls out his fingers in a quick move, only to replace them with his thick, warm cock. Shit. That feels... amazing. I am completely filled out. I am bound and helpless. But I have never felt more powerful, more... alive. I have _chosen_ to be Chris’. I have chosen to be subjugated by his power and dominance, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. As easy as breathing. Nothing has ever been more right than this in my entire life. And no matter how hard or dominating or intense Chris is to me, I know, that all I have to do is say ‘stop’ and he will stop the second I say it. He would never inflict me with a pain I didn’t want.

“You are _mine_ , female” Chris groans behind me and his voice pulls me out of my daydream. Chris grabs the end of the buttplug and pulls it slowly out of my ass. I moan loudly. He lets it slide back in while he presses his cock into me too, as deep as possible. Shit. Chris pushes the buttplug deep into my ass again and pulls out his cock. No! Come back! Chris grabs my bound hands and pulls me up from the floor. I am turned around and lifted up into his huge arms. I can’t do anything to object or hinder it, as Chris places me on my back on the bed, but the wrong way. He pulls my shoulders down towards the end of the bed until my head falls out from the edge. It almost feels like I’m about to fall from the bed, but Chris just lets be lay there without pulling me further. I have my head hanging out over the edge of the bed, my hands still tied behind my back and that now warm buttplug deep in my ass. Chris stands right in front of me and all I can see is that thick, hard and glistering wet shaft of his cock right in front of my eyes. He grabs the shaft and pushes is down towards my mouth as he bends his knees. Slowly, he presses his cock into my mouth and I open as wide as I can.

“Fuck, yes” he moans as he pushes himself deeper down my throat. It’s _so_ overwhelming but _so_ hot and I twist my hips to get a little bit of movement in my muscles. Chris leans in over me so his cock can slide further down my throat and I feel his warm hands on my breasts. I moan through my nose because my mouth and throat is completely filled. Chris’ warm hands slide down my belly and three fingers penetrate me hard.

“Oh!” I moan choked, almost breathless, as Chris pulls out his cock from my mouth. I gasp for air and feel the drool running down my cheeks. He pushes his cock into my mouth again and Chris finds a nice, fast rhythm with both his cock and his fingers. Fuck me, this is so hot. I am completely filled out in all my holes and it’s so overwhelming, but so hot, that I soon feel how my body is begging to orgasm. It has been building up over so many times now that it’s a volcano erupting when it’s finally being allowed to happen. I arch my back and feel how the tears are falling freely when I’m finally being allowed to come. I twist out my orgasm, still with Chris’ cock buried deeply in my throat.

“Fuck, Arya!” Chris yells as he presses his cock deeper down my throat, so deep, that I almost pass out. More involuntary tears fall down my cheeks, not because it hurts, but it’s just my body’s automatic response to the cock that’s choking the life out of me. His warm sperm shoots down my throat and I gasp for air. After a few seconds – that feels like hours – Chris is finished orgasm’ing and he pulls himself out of my mouth. I swallow several times and gasp to catch my breath. Chris pulls me up onto the bed again and turns me onto my side, so he can release my hands and pull the buttplug out of my very sore ass. Then he pushes me back to face the right way on the bed and crawls up onto it while he pulls the heavy duvet over the both of us. Strong, warm and hard arms surround my upper body in a heavy embrace and I am being pulled up to lie on Chris’ hard chest. He puts his nose down to my hair and takes a deep breath.

“Mmm” he groans and tightens his embrace.

“Hard enough?”

I exclaim a half-serious laugh and nod towards his chest.

“Definitely hard enough” I whisper. I feel the satisfaction emerge from that huge body as the dark bonding scent surrounds me.

“You are amazing” he mumbles into my hair. I smile to myself. Then I put my arm around his broad chest and let sleep claim me for its own. I fall asleep with the feeling of being completely safe, content and filled with love.


	21. A visit to the hospital

The sun’s sharp rays hurt my eyes as I slowly wake up. I rub my eyes while I yawn groggy. How long have I been asleep? I reach for Chris, but find the bed empty. I am alone. Where is he? I slowly open my eyes and stretch my body. My very first thought is ‘ouch’ followed by ‘OUCH!”. Apparently having amazing sex hurts the day after. Who would have thought? I am about to get up, when the door to the bedroom opens. I quickly pull the duvet up over my naked body.

“Good morning, abranyaa” Chris says as he enters. His whole face is lit with love and satisfaction and yes, power. I guess that expression never leaves his face but to be honest; it’s not a bad look on him. At all. He has a huge tray in his hands. Breakfast? Wow. It smells amazing of bacon and egg and toast. And coffee. He sits down in the edge of the bed as I sit up, and he places the large tray on my legs in front of me. There’s even juice and fresh fruit and everything else that one could possibly desire for breakfast. There are even little cups of yogurt. Just... wow.

“I didn’t know what you had a craving for, so I just made a little bit of everything for you” Chris mumbles, as he pours a glass of juice for me and hands me. I reach out with both my hands to accept the glass while I smile fondly at him.

“You did all this for me?” I ask gently. Chris’ steel grey eyes are surprisingly insecure, as he picks up a bowl of fruit and start arranging it for me.

“Of course I did, you’re my pregnant female. I need to keep you fed” he mumbles as his eyes find mine. I feel my own become wet and I slowly nod.

“Thank you” I whisper as I start to eat what he offers me. We eat in silence for a little while, but Chris’ eyes never leave me at any point. I feel him take a deep breath and know that the silence is about to be broken.

“I’ve had your things brought over from Dragan’s place” he says seriously and just the sound of his name makes my body stiffen. I try to shake it off.

“Thank you” I whisper again and reach for the glass once more.

“And I’ve arranged for some new dresses and other clothes for you. It’s in the closet. I didn’t know what you had already or how much of it you’re able to fit into in your current situation” he smiles looking down at my belly hidden behind the duvet.

“Dresses?” I ask surprised. The memories of the dark blue dress from the first day here with Chris flash through my head. Chris smiles at me.

“You look amazing in a dress, Arya” he replies as if he too remembers the blue evening dress, “feminine and soft and curvy and... mine.”

I blush slightly at his words.

“Actually, I want you to find a dress you like to wear tonight.”

“What’s happening tonight?” I ask suspiciously and insecure.

“We’re having... company” Chris replies secretively with a huge smile. I swallow hard.

“Company?”

Chris nods.

“It’s a Friday night. Nothing abnormal about having company on a Friday night” he smiles. But there’s more to it than that. He’s keeping something from me, I just know it. But as I’m about to ask more, I realise something else.

“Friday? It’s Friday?” I ask surprised. Friday. It’s been exactly two weeks since Dragan kidnapped me at Professor Howard’s office. Two weeks! Shit! So much has happened in just fourteen days. More than most will experience in a lifetime. Fear. Surprise. Grief. Loss. Pregnancy. Love. So much love. Family. Shit – Megan!

“What is it, female?” Chris asks as he probably senses my mood change. I put the glass down on the tray and look up at him.

“Megan” I reply softly, “have you heard anything? Is she alright?”

I reach for his hand and hug it tightly.

“She’s okay. Bruised and battered, some broken bones, but alive. She’ll recover fully in time” Chris replies. I exhale in relief. She’s going to recover fully. Thank you, Mother Nature. Thank you, Chris.

“Where is she? Can I see her?” I ask eagerly. Chris hugs my hand back as he looks intensely at me. He nods once.

“Of course. I’ll take you myself whenever you’re ready.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate that” I smile gratefully. Chris’ eyes shine at me. Wow. He’s _so_ hot; _so_ much mine. He releases my hand and pushes the tray aside. Then he grabs both my legs under the duvet and pulls me down on the bed. I squeal in surprise, but my mood quickly changes into something else as Chris lays himself hard between my legs and his mouth invades mine. The laughter changes into lust and desire. How can I even be horny after last night is beyond my comprehension but here we are and oh I am. With quick movements Chris has pulled the duvet off me and pushed himself down between my legs without any effort. Because honestly? I want this. I want him between my legs, I want him hard against me and I want him deep inside me in every way possible. I am literally melting under his touch and my body obeys his every command. This sex is a sharp contrast to the violent session from last night. Chris’ tongue invades my mouth while his hands grab everything in their reach – my breasts, my hips, my thighs, my ass and my arms. There is not a centimetre of my skin that he’s not touching with those huge, rough hands, but every touch sends electricity through my skin. If the sex last night was intense, this one is intimate. Chris’ heavy body crushes my soft curves in the exact right way and the contrast between his hard masculinity and my soft femininity has never been clearer than it is right now. His hard chest against my soft breasts. His rock hard abs against my soft baby-bump. His hard cock against my soft wetness. The only soft thing about Chris right now is his tongue that’s playing wet with mine as he slowly enters my heat. I moan into his mouth while I push my pelvis up against his and I arch my back as he fills me out completely. Chris’ wet and warm lips moves down my jaw, dwells at my neck for a moment before they continue down to my breasts where he bites down on one of my nipples. My whole body jerks with excitement. I grab Chris’ face and his head against my breast, while he slowly enters me deeper. I’m almost shaking with lust and desire for this hard man of mine who’s not disappointing it.

“Chris...” I moan as a beg, a plead and a prayer at the same time; as if he is the answer to all my questions. And he is. He is my everything.

“Arya...” Chris groans against my breast. His head lifts to mine and I let my fingers run through his soft, blonde hair where I grab a big chunk of it. He doesn’t even notice me pulling his hair or maybe he’s just not reacting to it because it doesn’t hurt him. His mouth conquers mine again, while his cock is thrusting into me without mercy or care that I’m already sore. Those strong hands grab my wrists and pull my hands up over my head, where they are held with one large palm while the other hand grabs around my neck. I gasp for air and feel the heat spread in my body.

“Yes... fuck... Chris... fuck... me...” I beg moaning and as a reply, Chris tightens his grip around both my wrists and my neck. He squeezes so hard that I actually feel my body shake from the lack of oxygen, but I trust Chris completely and I trust him to know what he’s doing to me. A few seconds before I pass out I feel the orgasm reach its peak and in the same second Chris release my neck. I gasp for air while the shakings of the orgasm rock through my body and I feel Chris press himself deeper into me as his cock throbs from releasing its juices into me. He releases my wrists and puts his huge arms around me, while he buries his face in my hair and takes a deep breath against my sore and red skin. His bonding scent is emerging from his hard body and wrapping around the both of us, as well as filling the entire bedroom with its dark aroma. Very slowly, Chris pulls out of me and I can feel the mix of both of us run gently out of me. Either he doesn’t notice it or he doesn’t care, because he rolls us both on to our side and pulls my leg up on his hips with a firm grip on my ass.

“Are you okay?” Chris mumbles into my hair and I nod against his throat.

“Yes, dahari, I’m okay” I smile and lift my head to look at my male. My hot and naughty and eternally dominant male. His wide smile makes the heat spread through me. This is... perfection.

“Do you want a shower before we go see Megan?” he asks and the reality is pouring in over me. I pull out of Chris’ arms – he lets me – and get up from the bed. I can feel how sore I am between my legs and how sticky the insides of my thighs are. I nod as a reply to Chris as I smile to myself.

“What are you smiling at, female?” he asks as he gets up and stands right in front of me. His strong fingers grab my jaw and force my head up so he can look into my eyes. I smile again.

“A bath sounds amazing, I’m actually a bit sore” I mumble still smiling. Chris’ eyes sparkle with lust, desire, power, triumph, arrogance, superiority, confidence, self-assurance... Yeah, those are very attractive qualities in him. He lowers his head to mine, but stops just before his lips meets mine. I can feel his warm breath on my face.

“Sore?” he groans satisfied. I open my mouth to reply, but no words can escape as his mouth is on mine in a hard kiss. He invades my mouth and I sink into his warm, hard and completely naked body. Strong hands grab my ass hard, while he pushes his groan in against mine. The fire is igniting inside me. Shit. When am I ever going to get enough of him?

“Shower first...” he mumbles into my mouth, “and maybe your body needs a moment to heal.”

He smiles widely. I sigh displeased when Chris lets me go and pulls away. I turn for the bathroom and walk straight into it. I turn on the water and don’t even wait for it to heat up before stepping into the spray. Right. Bath... first. No, bath and then Megan. I have to see her. I need to make sure that she’s okay. I know what Chris said, but I need to _see_ for myself.

“Arya?” Chris calls from the bedroom, “I’m going to get ready for the trip. Come downstairs when you’re ready.”

“Okay” I call back and squeeze shampoo into my hand.

*

I stand in front of the large closet and stare at it resignedly. ‘ _Some new dresses and other clothes’_ was the understatement of the year. The closet is filled with female clothes. Shirts, pants, dresses, jackets, shoes – in my size, dammit! – skirts and everything else. Lots and lots of dresses in all lengths and colours. Wow. He really wasn’t kidding about liking me in a dress. I let my fingers slide over the many choices in front of me until my eyes settle on a long-sleeved black dress with a deep v-cut in front. The fabric is thick and perfect for winter-use. It looks like a dress I could have bought for myself for everyday use. It’s perfect. I find a pair of long, black boots that goes up to the knee and a long, dark blue jacket to put over. I skip the leggings even though there’s snow on the ground – because I really like the thought of Chris being able to pull my dress up and have unlimited access to me whenever he wants and wherever he wants. Shit. I really am subjugated to his dominance, aren’t I?

*

I lift the long dress a bit as I move silently down the stairs. I can hear voices from behind the walls around me, but meet no one as I make my way downstairs. I am about to push open the door to the dining room, when I hear raised voices seep out through the crack between the not-closed door and the door frame.

“I don’t give a fuck about what you and my cousin thinks you know. Arya is _not_ some ancient prophecy no one really knows how originated. She is _my_ female and after tonight, no one will have any doubts about that.”

Chris’ voice is hard and arrogant. Who is he talking to?

“She may have chosen you, Ozera, but that doesn’t change the prophecy. And no one can question the translation because you killed the only one in the whole world who could read the old language.”

Wait, is that James? What prophecy? Who did Chris kill? What are they talking about?

“Run home to your boss and tell him, that he will never get anywhere near Arya or our child. I don’t give a fuck about what he thinks he knows based on some old piece of parchment.”

Our child? Oh Chris, is it really yours? Ours? I shut my eyes hard. _Our child._

The door is suddenly pushed open with a hard shove and I don’t have time to react, as it smacks right into my forehead and sends me flying backwards. Shit. I feel my feet lose their contact with the floor and – barely a half second later – the only thing between my back and the hard floor is the air. I see the horrified look on James’ face when he realises that he’s the one responsible for smacking a door right into my face, but I am too preoccupied with falling to really care. That is, until a set of strong hands grab my waist from behind and stop me from falling any further. I am pushed back up on my feet again and turn a bit to see who caught me. Ian!

“Arya, are you okay?” James asks concerned, but I ignore him as Ian places a large palm on my arm.

“Karalieva, are you harmed?” Ian’s eyes are serious, his voice concerned. I nod quietly before I smile and place my hand over his.

“Thank you” I whisper. _Brother_. The word echoes in my chest. Again. Does Ian remind me of Alexander? Is that why I think of him as my brother?

“Arya?!”

Chris enters the entree hall and grabs me in his huge arms, so Ian is forced to let me go.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Ian saved me. Again...” I mumble into Chris’ hard chest.

“You can leave, Belaruz” Chris mumbles hard to James above my head, while his arms hold me so tight, that I can’t turn around and say goodbye to James. Not that it matters, really. I hear his steps echo in the hall and then the front door slamming hard. Chris finally releases his hold on me, pulls me out from his body and looks me over. His eyes fall down my body as if he’s checking me out. Or is he checking me for injuries? Whatever the reason is, his eyes are on my body and I feel the fire ignite inside me. The blush spreads from my cheeks down my chest to cover my breasts completely. Wow. All that just from a look. The lust is almost illuminating out of Chris.

“I can’t wait to tear that dress of you” he growls deep and my face is literally on fire from embarrassment. Dammit, Chris, Ian is right next to us! I lower my gaze but dare to throw a quick glance at Ian. He’s completely calm like he’s waiting for us to finish, but he has a crooked smile on his lips. Other than that, he seems to not notice the deep intimacy of Chris’ words just now. I smile weakly and put my hands on Chris’ hard abdomen.

“Can we visit Megan now?” I ask anxious, both to distract myself and Chris, but also because I really want to visit Megan. And I can’t do anymore sex right now, not matter how ready my body seems to think it is. And Ian is still right next to us! Chris smiles down at me.

“Of course. Come.”

He grabs my hand hard leads me to the front door, out to the huge SUV parked in front of the mansion. Ian is right behind us.

“Shit. I forgot. Wait here” Chris mumbles as he lets me go and hurries back into the mansion. I turn towards Ian.

“You’re coming with us?” I ask surprised and Ian smiles widely at me.

“An extra set of eyes and ears is always a good thing” he answers cryptic and I lower by brows questionably.

“Aryanne, are you sure you’re unharmed?” Ian asks in a sudden change of subject and I nod quickly.

“Oh that, yeah, I’m fine” I reply touching my forehead quickly, but Ian grabs my wrist gently.

“I didn’t mean that. I meant from the whole scene with Dragan yesterday. That couldn’t have been fun for you, having him threaten you like that, and I can imagine that Chris was pretty upset about it too.”

Oh _that_. I nod gently as I place my free hand over Ian’s on my wrist.

“Yeah, about that, Ian, there’s something I need to ask of you.”

Ian’s grip tightens.

“Whatever you need, it’s yours” he replies seriously and I smile weakly at the fierceness in his voice. These males are amazing.

“If Dragan ever comes back for me and actually get his hands on me again... if Chris for some reason can’t protect me...”

I take a deep breath. I have been thinking about this all through my shower and need to make sure it can never happen again. And I have a feeling that Ian is the one who is able to help with that. The only one.

“Then I need you to promise me, that Dragan won’t take me alive.”

Ian opens his mouth to object, but I cut him off because I knew he would object and I can’t have that right now.

“I’m serious, Ian. I need you to promise me this. I cannot bear the thought of him ever touching me again, forcing me and worse...”

I close my eyes as I feel them become wet.

“He cannot touch me again. Please. I need you to promise me.”

Ian’s green eyes reflect the pain in my own and he raises his other hand to place them both on my face. He bends his head down to mine and his forehead is softly pressed in against my forehead while his warm hands are closed wound my face.

“I promise you, that Dragan will never lay a hand on you again as long as I am alive. I will always protect you, not just because you are my karalieva or the bonded female of my blizki, but because my heart is commanding me to obey you and your wishes. My body is roaring for me to protect you and keep you safe, and I will always do just that. That I promise you, Aryanne Hathaway.”

Okay, so now my eyes aren’t just wet. I’m crying. _Brother_.

“Am I interrupting something?”

We both jerk out of each other’s hands as Ian shoves me behind him to keep me safe from however has spoken. But my body is not afraid. I would know that voice anywhere even if I was deaf. I pull Ian back and step out from his protection. My eyes seek those steel grey ones in front of us.

“Of course not. Ian was just promising me his protection when I questioned him joining us to go see Megan.”

I smile up at Chris as I slowly approach him. Yeah, I’m lying to him but with good reason. He cannot know what I have asked Ian to promise me. He cannot know that my fears are so real that I have forced his best friend to a death-promise if they ever become real. Chris’ eyes roam over my face and I can feel the heat from his hard body radiate towards me. Does he know I’m lying? I step into him as his arms close around me. I reach around Chris’ waist and hug him tightly into me even though my hug is a weak effort in comparison to Chris’ tight embrace. No, he doesn’t know. Or maybe he doesn’t care.

*

The trip isn’t very long, but I am a bit surprised when Ian parks the car in the parking lot of a public hospital; General Hospital in North Manchester. But then again, I don’t know what I expected if not a hospital. Ian, Chris and myself walk towards the entrance to the hospital together and both of the males move to walk next to me; one on each side. My protectors. But what on Earth do I need protection from here? On a public parking lot on a Friday morning?

The receptionist almost chokes on her coffee as she looks up and sees Chris and Ian’s huge bodies in front of her. She seems completely oblivions to me; I might as well have been invisible. Her cheeks turn tomato red and she lowers her gaze in embarrassment.

“Can you tell us where to find Megan Amaraz?” Ian asks kindly and the poor woman doesn’t stand a chance against his charming smile and his handsome look. Ian’s green eyes hold hers, but she’s not capable of replying.

“Can I help you?” a new voice asks and we all turn towards it. It’s a middle aged woman in a doctor’s coat. Her gaze looks over Chris, then me and then Ian. Her cheeks turn light pink. Oh she’s not unaffected either, even though that pink colour is the only sign of her being attracted to the handsome male in front of her.

“I hope so” Ian smiles widely and that lovely pink turns darker.

“We’re looking for Megan Amaraz?”

The doctor nods effectively and a hint of disappointment shows in her face. Because of course a male like Ian would be looking for a female like Megan; less wouldn’t do it and not her either.

“I’ve just seen her on my morning round. Follow me, please” she replies efficiently and starts to walk down the hall with quick steps. Ian is quick to follow, then me and Chris only a few steps behind me. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say they’re doing this on purpose to form a protective guarding of me. But I know better, right?

“In here” he doctor says calmly and Ian smiles a wide thank-you-smile to her. She smiles back and turns to leave. Ian looks over at me and nods to the door.

“You go in, Arya. I’ll wait here.”

His voice is calm and I nod a thank you, as I grab the handle and push it down, before I enter the large hospital room. Shit. I don’t know what I expected, but the sight of Megan laying so still in the hospital bed makes my eyes water. Her skin is pale, her normally so luminous hair is flat and lifeless, and her body is covered in black and purple marks everywhere. Her face is bruised and her stomach is bound in gaze, tight and thick. Shit. The other hospital bed is empty, luckily.

“Arya?” she whispers and I instinctively reach down to cradle my belly as my eyes fill with tears.

“Megan” I whisper back and slowly walk over to her. Her beautiful brown eyes are shiny and she reaches for me at the same time as I reach for her. I hug her hand close to my heart.

“You’re okay” I exhale, desperately trying to hold the tears back and Megan nods quietly.

“You saved me” she replies surprised and looks over at Chris with gratitude in her lovely eyes. Chris is standing completely still with his arms crossed over his chest as if he doesn’t want to disturb my time with my friend. I see him nod once to Megan as a sort of ‘you’re welcome’ to her comment about being saved by her enemy. I turn towards Megan again, but don’t get the chance to speak, as we suddenly hear raised and aggressive voices outside the door. I exchange a nervous look with Chris, who firmly nods towards the bed and I stand next to Megan as I almost crouch in over her to protect her with myself. Chris crooks his head while he sends me a ‘save-yourself-for-fuck-sake-female’ look, which I ignore completely. My hand is firmly gripping Megan’s while my other hand is protecting my belly. A hard knock on the door has both me and Megan gasping in surprise, but Chris is completely calm. His hand is firmly gripping the gun in his waistband while the muscles in his back tighten.

“It’s us” Ian calls while he enters and a second later I see his huge body enter the room with Vladimir right behind him. Vladimir ignores both Ian and Chris as he stalks over to the bed and his eyes roam over Megan’s face before they turn to me. He nods a greeting and I smile back at him.

“Dammit, V, you could have told us you were coming” Chris says as the two males shake hand.

“I’ve been here the whole time” Vladimir replies. One of Chris’ eyebrows shoots up in surprise.

“You’ve been here since yesterday?” he asks hesitantly and Vladimir nods once before letting go of Chris’ hand and he sits down in the chair next to Megan’s hospital bed. Chris stares at Vladimir for a long time before his eyes find Megan’s and then they settle on mine. I smile at him while I shrug casually as if to say that I know as much as he does. Another knock on the door and Chris’ hand is gripping the gun once more while Ian steps aside from the door and I see he also has his large palm gripping a gun. Seriously, guys, what could happen to us here? Bryan is dead. We’re safe. The door opens into the room and a male nurse enters the room.

“My, my, we’ve certainly filled out this room, haven’t we” he smiles as his eyes take in the three large males in the room before he looks at me and then finally down at Megan.

“My name is André and I will be your nurse for the next 8 hours. Do you need anything, dear?”

His voice is warm and kind. In fact, his whole face is friendly and open, and his attitude is calm despite him being surrounded by huge predators twice his own size. I notice Vladimir’s eyes raging at the nurse for his ‘dear’ comment, but I don’t think he has anything to be jealous about, to be honest. In fact, if anyone should be nervous is would be me, seeing how André is eyeing _my_ male. Yeah, I’m pretty sure he’s not into the female sex as there is nothing sexual in his look at Megan and _everything_ sexual in his look at Chris. He reminds me painfully of Christian, my friend from the university though the two share little in common. Well, except for their sexuality. And their taste in men. And their friendliness. Okay, maybe they have some things in common.

“Ahm no, thanks, I’m good” Megan replies with a smile and she hugs my hand hard. André’s gaze looks over at me and my protecting hand still covering my belly. His eyes seek mine as he silently asks me while looking down at my hand. I smile as I nod quietly.

“Oh how sweet, a little new one on their way. Do we know the sex yet?” he asks warmly and I shake my head.

“Ah no, I haven’t seen a doctor yet” I mumble. Both his eyebrows shoot up.

“You are _that_ pregnant but you haven’t even seen a doctor yet? Have you at least had a scan to see that everything was fine?” he asks concerned and a bit annoyed. I shake my head again. He makes a very disappointed sound as she shakes his head back at me. Out of the corner of my eye I see Chris approaching and I turn my head to smile up at him, when he comes to stand next to me and place his huge hand protectively over mine on my belly.

“We just found out” Chris replies with a hard tone. There is a very clear warning in his voice telling André to back the fuck off, but the nurse is completely ignorant to it. Or maybe he just doesn’t care. His eyes roam over Chris’ huge body and a small but satisfied smile appears on his lips. He clearly likes what he sees. And it’s not like I can blame him for that. He sighs heavily as he shakes his head and nods towards my little baby-bump.

“Alright. I’m going to go get the scanner and then we’ll have a look at what’s hiding inside you, miss pregnant.”

His tone is firm and determined. I feel the dissatisfaction radiate from Chris as his muscles tighten in anger, but I cannot stop myself from smiling over this whole situation. A little human man not afraid of big, bad Chris while he’s giving commands to his female? Yeah that’s so funny I can’t not smile about it. André leaves the room without further words and I feel Megan hug my hand tighter.

“He’s pretty cool, that nurse, huh” she laughs and I laugh with her. Not Ian, nor Vladimir or Chris seems to be able to see anything funny in this, but that doesn’t stop me and Megan from laughing with ourselves. I put my fingers in between Chris’ as I hold his hand tightly and look up at him. His eyes are hard and dissatisfied, but the sight of my eyes filled with laugher seems to soften his hardness. His free hand grabs my face and his lips are hard as he crush down on mine.

“Mine” he growls into my mouth and I nod to confirm.

“Besides” I mumble as Chris pulls his head away, “I don’t think there is any threat in that nurse to either of you. Well, maybe only to me, as he’s eying _my_ male, but I can take the competition.”

Megan laughs out loud with me while Chris stares down at me with both brows pulled deeply together. I look up at him in disbelief. Ian and Vladimir are wearing similar expressions.

“Are you kidding me? None of you noticed his eyes all over Chris? Come on! I can’t be the only one who saw?” I laugh. Chris shakes his head.

“You’re delusional” he mumbles to me and puts one arm around my shoulders to hug me tight.

“No, I saw it too” Megan smiles and we both giggle at that.

“There’s no competition” Chris groans into my hair and I put my free arm around his waist as he tightens his grip around me.

“Oh I know” I whisper and press my lips in against Chris’ hard chest. No, I have absolutely no fears towards André and his eyes on my male. He can look all he wants to look. Chris only has eyes for me and he’s only ever had eyes for me since the first time he saw me in Dragan’s cabin when I stepped out from behind James. His eyes were fixated on me and it seems like they’ve been fixated on me ever since. And I don’t mind.

A light knock on the door sounds before it’s opened again. André enters, dragging a huge machine with him.

“Alright, miss pregnant. If you will be kind enough to lay down on that bed over there, we shall see what’s hiding inside your little bump of a belly” he says and nods towards the empty hospital bed. I let go of both Megan and Chris to go to lie down on the bed and I’m about to pull up my dress when I suddenly stop as I reach my knees – because I don’t really want to flash my legs or panties to Ian or Vladimir but there is no way for me to pull up the dress without doing exactly that. Chris and Megan, well and André, I don’t really mind flashing to be honest. But Chris comes to my rescue. He pulls his heavy leather jacket off and puts it over my thighs and abdomen so I can pull up the dress without showing too much of myself. André pulls the machine over to the bedside and starts getting ready, as Chris sits down on the edge of the other side of the bed. His hand reaches for mine and his fingers are hard as they close around my wrist. To others that might look possessive and arrogant, but for me it is the essence of safety and dominance.

“Alright” André smiles and looks down at me with a small scanner in his hand, “let’s see if we can find the little one, shall we?”

He reaches out for a tube and squeezes out a huge blob of very cold gel onto my belly, where after he places the scanner in the middle of the gel and starts to slide it across my skin. Slowly but with a firm pressure the scanner slides over my skin and I stare petrified at the screen on the machine. Black and white and grey colours dance across the image as André moves the scanner slowly across my belly.

“Ahh there it is” he mumbles with a wide grin and I feel Chris stop breathing as he stares at the screen with confusion written all over his handsome face. Hasn’t he done this before? The thought is in my head before I can stop it and the horrible feeling that follows enters my heart like a lightning bolt. I ignore the pain in my chest as I look at the screen in front of me. In between the shades of grey, a black spot appears with a very small white dot in the middle. Shit. Is that really a baby? My baby? André pushes some things on the machine and the image freezes. Then he uses a little arrow on the screen to measure the size.

“Just under 7 mm” he mumbles as the image comes back to life, “hmm I thought you’d be further along with that bump you’re showing. Oh well, it looks like you’re about 6 weeks pregnant, miss.”

More like _6 days_ , but I’m keeping that little detail to myself. Hey, what did he mean by ‘the bump you’re showing’?? I’m not that big! Am I? André looks at me with a big grin.

“Shall we see if we can find a heart blink?”

A heart _blink_? I nod speechless. There really _is_ a baby in my belly. André runs the scanner across my skin again and we see the black spot on the screen move around like a fish in a bowl. Then he holds the scanner perfectly still and that tiny white dot in the middle of all the blackness blinks weakly but fast.

“Perfect. See how the heart of beating strongly? The little one is just as it’s supposed to be at this stage” André smiles. My free hand cover Chris’ still locked hard around my wrist. He stares at the screen as enchanted by it and doesn’t even notice my hand on his.

“Chris?” I mumble insecure and pull on his hand. His huge body jerks and his eyes feel mine. He stares down at me with adoration and awe in those lovely steel grey eyes. Like a blind man seeing the sun for the very first time. Yeah, that fits perfectly right now. I look at him questionably, but his expression doesn’t change.

“Here you go, this is for you, baby-momma” André says and he pulls me out of Chris’ stare. He hands me a small piece of thin paper and I feel my eyes water as I look down at the image of the screen we just saw a moment ago; an image of my little dot. Then André turns off the machine and wipes off the gel from my skin.

“You do look a little pale. Maybe we should get one of the doctors to do a blood sample to see if you are in need of something. Are you taking your prenatal vitamins?” André asks concerned. I shake my head. He sigh disappointed at me and then looks over at Chris with disapproval.

“Maybe you should start taking better care of your pregnant girlfriend” André accuses Chris. Shit. The air is changing. It’s like all the air in the room is sucked out to make room for Chris’ anger that’s emerging from his huge body. I quickly get up from the bed in the same second as Chris stands up. I position myself in front of Chris and place my hands on his chest to hold him back.

“How dare you...” he growls aggressively. André takes a step back in shear surprise and well, fear. _Now_ he’s afraid and for good reason. Ian is fast as he’s at our side in second and his strong arms lock around Chris from behind.

“Chris” I plead, but he doesn’t even notice me. He takes a step towards André, dragging both me and Ian with him without effort at all. Shit. We can’t hold him back. He’s too powerful. I grab his t-shirt and hug it in my hands so it tightens around his hard body.

“Chris. _Look at me_.”

My voice is a plead and a command at the same time. Very slowly, Chris lowers his gaze from André to me. I stare up at him with fear written all over my face; fear for his reaction, fear that none of us will be able to stop him, fear for another person being hurt or even killed because of me. My eyes get wet.

“Chris” I whisper up to him and press myself closer in against his body. Ian still has his arms locked around Chris’ waist and I silently pray for him to not let go.

“Please stop.”

Chris stares down at me in what seems like forever, but it’s probably no more than a minute or so in real life. The rest of the room is completely silent as not Megan or Vladimir or André dares to interrupt my desperate attempt to calm Chris’ anger. He shuts his eyes hard and when he opens them again, they do seem a bit gentler. But just a bit. He looks past my head at André.

“You have _no idea_ of the extent to which I would go to to take care of _my_ female” Chris growls angry. I hear the sound of movement, like someone is shaking their head.

“No, of course not” André mumbles quickly. I hear footsteps move away from us.

“I had no intention of insulting you or insinuate that you are not capable of taking care of her. I was just underlining the importance of...”

His words like as Chris’ steel grey eyes thunder at him.

“Nothing, of course” he mumbles and then I hear the sound of the door opening and closing, and footsteps moving down the hall in a quick pace. Ian very slowly loosens his grip around Chris’ waist as Chris’ grip around me tightens.

“There is _nothing_ I wouldn’t do to keep you safe, abranyaa” Chris mumbles into my hair and I nod against his chest.

“I know” I whisper back and lift my head towards him. His lips are demanding and I let him kiss me for as long as he needs to, even though it feels to intimate being kissed like this in a room with 3 others in it. A mumble sounds behind me and it is as if the sound of Ian’s voice breaks our bubble of intimacy. I turn in Chris’ arms and reach for Megan’s hand.

“How long are you planning on staying here?” Ian asks Vladimir in an uneasy tone.

“For as long as _she_ is here” Vladimir answers coldly. His reply leaves no room for debate or negotiation. Ian fixates his green eyes on Megan.

“And you’re feeling completely safe with him being here?” he asks slightly blamingly. I suppress a smile as I see Megan gaze over at Vladimir with a gentle look and her cheeks burn pink as she discovers his black eyes fixated on her face. Oh no, she definitely doesn’t mind him being here.

“I feel completely save with him being here” she replies calmly and looks down. A little smile appears on Vladimir’s face as his hard body radiates satisfaction and self-confidence. Ian looks over at Chris who shrugs casually as I can feel his movement being held here in his arms as I am.

“If she’s feeling safe, I don’t see the problem with V being the one guarding her while she’s here” Chris says. Ian nods once in accept. Megan pulls my hand and I look down at her.

“Can you help me to the bathroom?” she asks weakly as if she doesn’t want the others to hear. Chris is probably the only one who hears it, being so close to me. I nod.

“Of course” I reply immediately and pull out of Chris’ arms. I bend in over Megan and put my arms around her small upper body. Vladimir gets up from the chair and moves towards us in a fluent and quick move.

“Let me” he says hard, but Chris reaches out an arm to stop him.

“We’ll let Arya take care of this” Chris says to Vladimir and I can feel both males’ eyes on my back as I carefully help a very bruised and weak Megan to the bathroom that’s attached to the hospital room. I close the door behind us, but don’t lock it. If something happens I need Chris and the others to be able to help me without having to break down a door to get to us.

“Can you...?” Megan whispers and looks down at herself. Shit. She wants me to pull down her panties.

“Of course” I reply again, a little bit less enthusiastic than before. I step in front of her and those brown eyes hold mine seriously.

“Yes, I know this is awkward, but imagine how awkward it was an hour ago when I couldn’t wait for the nurse and had V help me instead” she mumbles and I cannot stop myself from laughing.

“Shit. Alright, that tops this awkwardness” I smile as I pull her panties down to her knees. I hold her under her arms as she slowly lowers herself to the toilet. She grimaces from the pain.

“At least you’re a female. And my friend” she says and looks up at me. I nod to confirm as I smile back.

“Yes, I definitely am that” I reply. Megan smiles at me.

“And you don’t look at me like you’re about to fall to your knees and worship me as a goddess or something” she mumbles with wide eyes. I suppress a surprised gasp.

“V, huh?” I ask in disbelief. Megan looks up at me. She reaches up both hands to me and I pull her up with a bit of trouble as she’s too weak to stand for herself.

“I don’t even know _why_. I mean, I don’t know him. He doesn’t know me. I’ve never met him before the other day in the kitchen at Chris’ mansion with you. I know he’s part of the group that rescued me from that pig, but I just don’t understand why he stays here with me. I am nobody. In fact, I’m worse than nobody; I’m his enemy. He should hate me, not fucking help me to the toilet!”

She blushes lightly at the memory and looks down. I grab both her hands and the gesture forces her to look up at me with insecurity written all over her beautiful face.

“You like him, don’t you? As in like-like him?” I ask with a small smile and Megan’s blush deepens. Oh yeah, she _likes_ him alright.

“I think I do. Fuck, _yes_ , I do like him. Very much. I mean, he’s blunt and hard and dominating, but in that protective way, you know? He treats me really well, to be honest. But that doesn’t change the fact that I am his enemy. He can’t be with me; he’s a warrior of Ozera’s. What would everyone say if he’s suddenly seen with a traitor from The Resistance?” Megan replies and I see tears in her eyes. I smile again.

“But Megan, if you are in love with V - and he is clearly head over heels in you... isn’t it the right thing then; you being his?”

I throw back her own words and we both laugh at the memory it brings up.

“And blunt, hard, dominating and protective? Yeah I think I’ve met someone like that before.”

We both laugh again. A hard knock to the door makes us both jerk in surprise.

“Arya? Is everything alright in there?”

Chris’ voice is anxious. I look at Megan with a raised eyebrow while I mumble ‘speaking of the sun’ to her. She nods back while smiling widely. Then she let me put my arms around her to help her back into the hospital bed.


	22. That is too much info in one day

The trip back to the mansion is completely silent. Chris has a firm grip on my wrist the entire time, but he seems to be lost in his own thoughts. But so am I. I cannot help but keep thinking about that conversation I overheard Chris have with James before we left. What prophecy? Is it like an Others-prophecy? About me? Or the baby, maybe? Who had translated for Dragan what Chris has killed – Professor Howard, maybe? Was that the work Dragan forced him to do for him with me as a hostage: translating some ancient Others-prophecy? Maybe Megan knows something about it, but there was no way for me to ask her in front of all the others. Maybe Ian knows something? But how can I ask him without Chris being there? And maybe I should just ask Chris? And why does Megan need a guard at the hospital? And why does Ian call me queen – what is Chris king of then? Shit! All those questions! I look up and discover Ian looking at me using the rear view mirror. His gaze is serious. What? I look over at Chris whose eyes are fixated on the landscape outside, but I know that at least half his attention is focused on me even if his eyes aren’t. I look up at Ian again, but with Chris in the car I cannot ask him anything so I just keep quiet for now.

*

Ian disappears as soon as we park in the snow in front of the mansion. I let Chris take me inside and feed me, and even though I have my million questions regarding everything from ‘queen’ to Megan’s guard to James and their strange conversation, I keep quiet. I don’t ask Chris because I sense his mood being dark and sombre. When we’ve eaten, Chris asks me to get ready for tonight while he has some work to take care of. I nod in understanding and he kisses me goodbye before I start walking up the stairs while Chris disappears into the living room and then into the office. As soon as he’s out of sight, I slowly make my way down the stairs again and silently search the rest of the house searching for Ian. He’s got to be here somewhere? Almost giving up, I look in the kitchen one last time, but Ian isn’t there. The old woman, well I suppose she’s a female, isn’t she, from earlier is however and she’s sitting at the table with a half empty plate in front of her. I am about to silently leave the kitchen, when her hoarse voice speaking up makes me stop.

“Aryanne.”

The sound of my old name makes me freeze in spot. Her accent is thick and she rolls the r’s in my name. I slowly take a few steps towards her and those old grey eyes focus on my belly before she lifts them to my face.

“Yes, ma’am?” I reply insecure as I place both my hands protectively on my belly. Her grey eyes are arrogant and without mercy. They remind me of someone else.

“If you are done playing with both of my grandsons, I would like to exchange a few words with you” she says hard and I widen my eyes in surprise and astonishment. Both from her perfectly pronounced English and the surprise that she doesn’t only speak their language, but also from the words she’s saying.

“ _Excuse_ me?” I ask surprised. Those milky grey eyes don’t soften or even blink at my reply.

“I heard you were with Dragan first and then you were with Christopher and then with Dragan again the last time I saw you, and now I see you with Christopher. Are you done choosing now or can I expect you to fool around with Dragan again anytime soon?”

I feel my jaw drop to the floor. Is she freaking kidding me?

“I was _not_ with Dragan by my own free choice. He had kidnapped me and forced me to be with him, but Chris rescued me and claimed me as I have always been his. I have _chosen_ to be his. He is my bonded male” I reply hard as I return that ice cold stare. We look at each other like that for a long time, before the old female nods once.

“Good. Now that’s settled, I suspect you might have some questions regarding that child growing in your womb. I would like to offer you my answers.”

This time I really do drop my jaw. She continues as if nothing has happened.

“I can understand that you’ve been brought up in the human world and therefore have another idea of how pregnancy is supposed to be than what your reality is now. I have given birth to two strong and thoroughbred males, and even though it’s been quite a lot of years since and none of them are alive anymore, there is no one else in this house that would be able to help you. Your parents are gone and have been for many years, and so are Christopher’s parents, who were my eldest son and his female. None of you have sisters. Your friend has, as far as I’ve been informed, not done anything of value to our race nor has she reproduced yet, so she will not be able to answer much more than theory. Therefore, I offer you my answers and welcome you to ask me all your doubts and thoughts about my great grandchild. I will be as much help to you ask I can be.”

She presses her lips together in a small line and looks expectantly at me. I stare down at her completely baffled and surprised. Not only is she offering me what she is offering me, but she looks like she expecting me to ask her something right _now_.

“That is...” ... a lot of information in one damn breath... “...really nice of you to offer me, ma’am” I reply kindly and she nods briefly as a reply.

“I am quite sure that I will have many questions that you would be able to answer for me. This is all so new to me and I don’t think I’ve fully understood it all yet.”

The thoughts are roaming around in my head like a tornado. Her great grandchild! Shit. My dead parents. Chris’ dead parents. And she clearly doesn’t like Megan, huh. And her children must have been Chris’ father, Christopher Sr. and Dragan’s father?

“I understand too well, my dear, a pregnancy is always a surprise even when it isn’t” she replies and gets up from the hard wooden chair. I reach down to grab her arm without even thinking and she lets me help her up. Those grey eyes lift to my face.

“When you are ready, my room is on the first floor, second door to the right. And you can stop saying ma’am to me. I am either _babulia_ or Olenna, that’s up to you, although I certainly know which one I prefer. When the little one arrives, we can talk about _prababulia_ instead.”

She smiles arrogantly at me before she – with surprisingly fast movements – reaches for me and puts a fragile hand on my belly. She closes her eyes and looks to be concentrating.

“Ahh. I think you need to look through you family tree for female names” she says with a crooked smiled. I am completely astonished and she laughs slowly, before she leaves the kitchen without saying goodbye. Female names? Is it a girl? How the Hell does she know that? It should be weeks, or days in my case, before anyone would be able to see the sex of the baby and they would have to use a _scan_ , not a hand put on my belly, for fuck sake.

“Arya?” I turn startled at the sound of my name.

“Are you okay?”

I exhale deeply.

“Yeah, I’m fine” I reply and Jason smiles at me. I smile back at him without thinking.

“Don’t you have a party to get ready to?” he asks with a wide smile.

“A party, huh? So much for calling it ‘company’” I reply and Jason’s smile becomes even wider.

“Come on, I’ll keep you _company_ while you get ready.”

Jason makes an obvious gesture towards the hallway and I let him lead me to the bedroom where he closes the door behind us. A déjà-vu settles in me as I remember how Chris closed the door behind us that evening where we had sex for the first time. But my déjà-vu is unfounded because Jason isn’t Chris and I have absolutely nothing to be scared about from this male.

“So...” Jason starts and throws himself at the bed, where he places himself on the side with one of his huge arms under his head, “what are you going to wear?”

I exclaim a frustrated sigh and shrug. I open the doors to the wardrobe and let Jason have a peek inside. He whistles loudly.

“Looks like you’ve got enough to choose from. Luckily, you’ve got a few hours before the guests will be arriving.”

I turn towards him and pace both hands on my hips.

“And what kind of ‘quests’ will be arriving to this so-called ‘party’?” I ask suspiciously. Jason smiles widely.

“Actually, it’s more like a gathering than a party in the sense of a human party, but semantics, right! And the guests will be friends, family, business connections...” Jason laughs and shrugs nonchalant, “you know, people we know.”

“People ‘we’ know as in people Chris knows or people ‘we’ know as in people from our race?” I ask insecure. This is getting more and more strange. How many quests are arriving?!

“Both. One thing doesn’t rule out the other” Jason replies. I think about that for a little while.

“So it’s not just a small gathering with a few friends huh?” I ask but I already know the answer before Jason shakes his head.

“Quite the opposite, actually. _This_ gathering in a huge event in our society. We have four every year, one for each of the changing seasons and this one is to mark the change of seasons to winter. And I’m pretty sure Chris is going to take advantage of the opportunity to not only show you as his bonded female for everyone to see, but also to show that the Hathaway family isn’t obliterated like everyone thought, - and that the alliance between the Ozeras and the Hathaways are stronger than ever.”

I exhale slowly, but then something strikes me.

“But Alexander is alive? How can everyone think that the Hathaways are dead when it’s common knowledge that Alex is alive?” I ask confused, but Jason shakes his head.

“That is definitely _not_ common knowledge, Arya. I didn’t know until yesterday when Ian told me. He and Chris are apparently the only ones who knew as it was Chris who helped your brother stay hidden when Chris’ father died and he took over the responsibility for the race. Chris sought out Alexander who still went under your adaptive name Janson and helped him so The Resistance didn’t find him. Your brother was quite surprised to learn who he really was because he was just a toddler when Chris saved you guys from being killed with your parents. That’s why no one knew about both of you being alive; because Chris had kept it to himself until his father died and he ascended the throne. He then went looking for you because he believed he now had enough power to make sure you were safe from The Resistance and he could safely bring you home to become his queen like you were meant to be. But your brother told Chris that you had been killed in a car accident when you were both kids and that came as a huge blow to Chris. He mourned you for months. I don’t think he ever really got over it.”

I blink away a few tears as memories of the past takes me over.

“I was only 11 years old, but I knew that I couldn’t stay too close to the burning car. Not when my family was in there... so I ran. I ran so hard for so long my legs buckled under me and I fell in the middle of the forest. An elderly couple found me the next morning as they were out for a walk with their dog. I refused to tell them who I was or where I’d come from, because I couldn’t face the truth about what had happened. About how my family had died because of _me_. Because my parents had to go home because of _me_. I just... I couldn’t tell anyone that. I was too ashamed. So the old couple had to drop me off at the local police station who turned me in to the social authorities. The social worker was the only one who could get me to say anything and I only told her my first name, Arya. So they registered me as Arya Malvern, because I was found in the area surrounding Malvern Hills in Worcester.”

I let the tears fall freely down my cheeks. Jason gets up from the bed and puts his huge arms around me and I accept his comfort. It’s not too unsettling to be in his arms, even though they’re not Chris’, but Jason feels like my brother so it’s more of a brotherly-hug than a lover-hug.

“Everything is going to be alright” Jason mumbles down into my hair and hugs me tighter.

“You’re with Chris now and he will protect you against everything. We all will.”

I nod into his hard chest.

“Thank you” I whisper. Jason slowly loosens his grip as he looks down at me with eyes filled with warmth, compassion and friendship.

“So, Miss _Hathaway_ , how about we get you ready to stand at Chris’ side?” Jason smiles and I smile half-heartedly as I nod.

*

The darkness has begun to take over when Jason and I descend the huge staircase. Jason has changed into a black suit with a bright yellow shirt underneath and the yellow colour enhances the blonde in his hair and the crystal blue colour of his eyes. It should make him look paler as yellow usually doesn’t work on a blonde person, but it really looks good on Jason. He looks amazing. Like a young Brad Pitt – only hotter. He’s offered me his arm and I have gratefully accepted it in fear of falling down the starts without him, if I trip in the skirt of the amazing dress I’m wearing. It is dark blue, the same colour as the bed sheet on Chris’ – well, on _our_ – bed and it wraps around my body smoothly which only enhances the shape of my baby-bump. It’s strop-less, but fitting tightly around my growing breasts with a wide, black ribbon under them to enhance my figure the best way possible. My long, strawberry blonde hair is loose and hanging freely down over my back and my breasts. The skirt of the dress is heavy as it falls softly around my ankles. It almost looks like a dress for a goddess, only in dark blue instead of white. Chris will love it. I just know he will.

We’re about halfway down the stairs when Chris’ huge body appears and he steps in front of the stairs. Holy crap. He is _so_ hot. Wearing a black suit with an indigo blue shirt underneath – no tie as the top two buttons are open and it gives him a serious, yet casual look. His blonde hair is styled like always; a little messy but on purpose. Those steel grey eyes are fixated on me and as I descend the stairs, a wide and confident smile spreads across his entire face, threatening to crack his cheeks from the effort. Wow. He looks like a male I _want_ to belong to; a male I am proud to call _mine_. The word echoes in my chest and I smile widely at Chris. He reaches out a hand for me and I don’t even hesitate as I put my own into his huge fist. Jason lets me go as I step into Chris’ arms. The two males nod to each other in mutual respect and acknowledgement.

“You look... _amazing_ ” Chris growls and stops in the middle on the entree hall. I can hear the muffled voices from the living room and I quickly wonder how many quests will be coming tonight? Chris pulls me into his huge arms and I am surrounded by his heat and the safety of his arms. His lips find mine and I am lost. My body sinks into his as my mouth open to let his warm, wet tongue enter it and I sigh pleased. When Chris finally ends the kiss, I am feeling dizzy and light-headed while the heat has spread to my entire body; he could take me right here, standing in the middle of the entree hall and I would not object the slightest.

“I could stay here for the rest of the night” he mumbles and kisses me again.

“I can live with that” I whisper back. Chris’ eyes sparkle with satisfaction, power, triumph, lust and... love. Deep, unconditionally and intense love. _For me._

“But a lot of people will be disappointed if I don’t show you as promised” Chris mumbles and I press my body closer into his.

“I can live with that too” I mumble back, earning me a laugh that rumbles through his hard chest.

“You say that now, but you have no idea who’s waiting for us down in the banquet hall” Chris mumbles with a wide smile. I press my lips together in a displeased look, but I don’t really mean it because his words suddenly make sense.

“The _banquet hall_?” I squeal surprised and Chris smiles while he nods towards the front door. But before we move even a bit, the door to the living room opens. The other residents of the house enter the entree hall one by one. Ian is the first to come out and wow; he looks amazing in a suit too. His shirt is emerald green, the exact same colour as his eyes and the shirt makes them look almost luminous. Is no one wearing a normal white shirt anymore? Maybe white shirts are for boring humans and all these bright, amazing colours are for Others. Ian has a wide smile for me.

“Karalieva” he greets me and bows lightly in front of me and then towards Chris. Chris pulls me in harder against his side while he nods to Ian. Ian, Jason and the rest of the residents of the house disappear out the front door which slams behind them with a loud sound.

“Come, abranyaa” Chris mumbles into my hair. He pushes me towards the front door, but I resist his push a bit. Chris’ brows lower insecurely.

“Chris...” I sigh. He grabs my shoulders and bends his knees a bit so he can look me straight in the eyes.

“What’s wrong, female?” he asks concerned. I take a deep breath and meet his hard eyes.

“I have so many questions for you, but I don’t know how to ask. Or when to ask” I reply and hold those steel grey eyes in my own. Chris’ attitude changes to something cautious and hesitant. And a bit nervous.

“You can ask me anything, Arya, I will always tell you the truth” Chris says seriously but insecure. I take another deep breath. I know he will, but I don’t even know if I _want_ to know the truth.

“Ian and the others call me ‘ _karalieva_ ’. I asked Ian about that and he told me that it means ‘queen’. That they call me that because as your bonded female I am their queen. So that would make you a king? Over what?” I ask confused. Chris’ mouth pulls up in a wide smile.

“Yes, Arya, I am king. Our race has five original families and the royal family is always found amongst them. My father was king before me, and when he died I took over. When your parents betrothed you to me it was because the original families wanted Hathaways to be the next royal family with our children” Chris replies as his eyes lower to my belly. A very soft tickle glides through my belly as a reply. Shit. King!

“Why does V have to sit guard for Megan? Are you afraid she’ll escape your captivity?” I ask accusingly. For a brief second Chris seems confused, either by the change of subject or the question itself, but he quickly recovers.

“No. I’m not. Vladimir isn’t her warden; he’s her protector. Bryan was one of my eldest and most loyal Warriors. He’s dead, yes, but who knows how many others share his view on Megan and others from The Resistance? She’s clearly become a close friend to you despite your short friendship and I could not bear to see you broken over the loss of a friend. That’s why Vladimir is protecting her; _for you_.”

Holy shit. Oh Chris... I sink hard. My strong, protective male. _King_!

“What were you and James talking about earlier in the living room?” I ask. Chris’ body becomes wary, I can feel it in his attitude and he instinctively moves a bit away from me. He stares at me for a very long time without replying and I’ve almost lost my patience, when he finally opens his mouth.

“It’s an ancient prophecy from our earliest myths” he says hesitantly as if insecure of my reactions, but I nod to try to encourage him to keep talking. Chris nods back at me.

“I don’t know how much Dragan or Megan – or Ian apparently – has told you about the history of our race, but roughly told we’ve been around for as long as humans. But for the last five centuries or so, we’ve been threatening extinction. Partially because of evolution having ruined our females’ fertility, but also because our society has been divided into two factions fighting each other.”

I nod as if I understand as I remember Megan talking about this too.

“Your faction and The Resistance?” I ask but I already know even though Chris nods to confirm anyway.

“Our earliest myths have been told down through the generations and when they were written down a thousand years ago or so, they had probably changed so many times from all the retelling that they weren’t even close to the original myths anymore. Dragan is obsessed with translating these myths, because he has a naive hope that in one of them lays the salvation to our race. His father was just as obsessed with it before he disappeared. The prophecies were written down in an ancient version of our language and it’s basically unreadable to the modern language. That’s the reason for Dragan kidnapping your Professor, because Howard was one of the only people knowing about our existence but he was probably also the only one on Earth capable of deciphering the old language. And you being caught in the middle of it...”

Chris smiles while he shakes his head and lets his hands slide down from my shoulders to grab my upper arms.

“It’s either the most amazing coincidence or the fate I’m still not convinced about actually existing.”

Chris presses his warm lips against my forehead.

“So what was the prophecy that Howard translated about then?” I ask carefully. Chris keeps his lips at my skin for a few more seconds, before he pulls away and his gaze finds mine. Shit.

“You” he replies dark and I feel my heart skip a beat or two. I sink hard. And I can feel the blood draining from my face so fast that black spots appear in front of my eyes. Chris grabs my arms harder when my legs buckle under me. He pushes me back towards the stairs and I sit down on one of the lower steps with Chris next to me.

“Me...?” I ask horrified. Chris nods seriously.

“There’s an ancient Others’ prophecy about... _me_?”

I put my head down in my hands. Chris’ warm hands grab my shoulders and he turns me towards him.

“Are you sure you want to hear this? You look a little... pale” he mumbles. I nod vibrantly. Yes. Fuck yes. I _need_ to know. Chris sighs.

“It doesn’t mention _you_ specifically by name, so there is of course a chance of the myth talking about someone else. But it mentions that our race will be in crisis after many years of war, where after the son of Blake would meet the lost daughter raised twice from the dead. And together they would create a child who would bring peace to us all. A saviour, but a saviour who would have to sacrifice their own life to ensure the future of the race. Dragan's father, my uncle, is named Blake. Dragan is his only thoroughbred son. Looking at you as having risen from the dead when you survived being Aryanne Hathaway and then again when you survived being Arya Janson, you have risen from the dead twice. You’re pregnant. It’s not very hard to see how Dragan has gotten the idea of you being what the myth is talking about.”

I instinctively place my hands over my belly to protect it.

“A saviour? My baby? So it really is Dragan’s?” I whisper horrified. Chris grabs my jaw and forces my head so he can see my eyes. Those steel grey eyes are dead serious.

“I don’t give a fuck about what Dragan thinks he knows or what some ancient prophecy can be read as. You are _mine_ and that is _my_ child in your belly” Chris says hard and I feel my eyes get wet. _His child_.

“And my child will never be the saviour of anyone. It will be the most spoiled and protected child in the world. It will never be allowed to save anyone like that. Besides, my uncle has been missing for two decades. Ever since that night where you’re parents were killed and the Hathaways destroyed. And if Dragan as much as even thinks about coming anywhere near you or my child, I will kill him.”

I blink away salty tears.

“You will?” I whisper surprised.

“But he’s your cousin?”

Chris nods seriously.

“To protect you, I will kill every living creature on the whole fucking planet” Chris growls. I feel my mouth turn up in a misplaced smile.

“My protector” I mumble and see Chris’ face light up in a huge and confident smile.

“That’s my most important role, Arya; protecting you” he replies with a triumphant smile and I can’t help myself; I smile back. Chris puts his hands around my face and pulls it up to his own. His lips are warm and soft, and I immediately give in to his need for me.

“The gathering” he mumbles between his kisses, but I ignore it and put my hands on his wide shoulders so I can pull him closer to me. As close as we can get sitting next to each other. It’s not close enough. In a quick move that surprises even Chris, I pull my dress up around my thighs and swing my leg over Chris’ so I can sit on his lap. I feel his hard erection against my heat and moan into his mouth as a reaction to his lust for me because the feeling of it is making heat bloom between my thighs.

“Arya” Chris growls warningly. His hands grab my wrists and he forces them off his shoulders.

“No” I whisper in denial, but I don’t stand a chance. Chris is so much more physically powerful than me that no matter how much I try to hold on to him, he removes my hands with no effort at all.

“You’re tempting me, female” Chris mumbles against my lips, but he keeps my hands down along my hips where he holds them firmly.

“But I will not take you here in the middle of the stairs where everyone could see you. Save it for later, then I promise you, that I will let you take whatever you want from me.”

I widen my eyes in surprise.

“Really? _I_ get to take you and you will do everything I say?” I reply confused. Chris smiles widely and confidentially while he nods to me. Oh my. All the possibilities...

“But only if we go down to the gathering right now” Chris growls at me and get up from the stairs, as he puts me down on my feet. I nod in agreement. I let Chris lead me out the heavy front door and around the house through the snow to a wide stone stair that seems to lead down to a basement or a bunker. What is it with these people and their under-earthy stairs? Chris pushes the massive stone door up and holds it open for me. I carefully step inside and look down the stair that leads down into the ground exactly like the stair in the garage lead down to the dungeon.

“There is nothing to be afraid of, Arya, I would never let you go down there is I had the slightest concern about there might be danger towards you down there” Chris says seriously and I look up at him while he reaches out a hand to me. I nod back. I know. And then I let him lead me down the stairs, down into the darkness.


	23. The Bonding ceremony

So I’ve been in this house for a few weeks now and what have I never noticed? A banquet hall the size of a stadium right next to house. Not that I would have seen it from the surface. The whole banquet hall is buried underground and you would think it would smell mouldy and moist down there, but no. It doesn’t. The air in the hall smells fresh and chill, despite the many people – _Others_ – who are spread out around the large hall. The hall is decorated with large ranks of green leaves and white flowers, and the dark green colour is actually everywhere to be seen; in the table covers and the candles and the ribbons hanging around the hall. Down both sides along the walls are placed huge, round tables with 8 chairs around each. The middle of the hall is empty like a huge dance floor, but groups of people are standing closely together all around the room. In the opposite end of the room from where we have entered, a large stage has been set op where a band is playing and the soft tones from their music is flowing through the room. Down in the corner just next to where we stand a large buffet has been set up with light food and there’s even a bar where a bartender is busy pouring drinks to the many quests. Shit. There must be close to 70 people in the room and it doesn’t even look crowded. Small talk is sounding everywhere around us but the second Chris and I enter the whole room becomes quiet. Shit. I feel my kind burn red and the redness spreads down my neck and down to cover my breasts. I look down; my eyes heavy under the many gazes turned my way. Chris pulls my hand up under his arm and gently nudges me in the side, while he pulls my arm under his and put my hand on his arm.

“Look up, Arya, be proud of who you are. You’re so beautiful” Chris whispers to me, so quietly that no one else can hear. My cheeks burn even hotter than before but I obey his command and lift my gaze while I smile slowly. Shit. There are _so_ many people. So many quests – so many Others gathered in one place. Everyone is dressed formally. The many colourful dresses mix in between the darkness of the black suits all around the hall. No children as far as I can see, but why would you drag your kids to an event like this on a Friday night in their most formal wear anyway? Of course the kids would rather stay at home in the PJs with popcorn, cartoon and a babysitter. Standing here under the gaze of probably 70 set of eyes, _I_ almost want to choose that option right now. Even if I am standing with my arm in the arm of the male I love.

Chris starts to move through the hall and I follow him obediently. I notice how Jason and Ian flank us, though a few feet behind us, as a couple of tall bodyguards dressed to impress. Or kill in this case. But someone is missing. Is Vladimir still with Megan? He probably is, considering how he looked at her earlier this morning. He’s hooked for sure. As we move through the hall, people start to pull aside so they form a row down the middle for us to walk through. Chris nods to quite a few as we walk, but his hand never loosens its grip around mine. Everywhere around us I see smiles and greetings and the pool of acknowledging smiles make me smile back without even realising it. Because how could I not? I am surrounded by people who belong in my life and all these strangers are looking at me with so much adoration, respect and acknowledgement. A low mumble erupts around us but it takes me half the walk down the ‘aisle’ to realise that they are mumbling one word over and over; ‘ _karalieva, karalieva, karalieva’_. They are saying the word like a player; worshipping and adoring _me_. Shit. They are worshipping me in adoration. Karalieva. Queen. They see me as their queen! I hesitantly look up at Chris. The satisfaction and triumph is positively radiating from his entire body. He is clearly very satisfied with this whole situation we’re in. Then he turns his head and looks down at me. I gasp silently. His steel grey eyes are big and almost luminous from pride and his love for me. He’s worshipping and adoring me too. _Mine_. The word hang in the air around us, while Chris’ dark aroma stems from his skin to wrap around me like a fog; a very dark and warning fog. Chris might be satisfied with the quests worshipping me as their queen – as his queen – but that’s exactly what I am; _his_.

We reach the end of the room and stop just before the band that all get up and bow gently before us. Chris leads me to the very first table to the side and I slowly let myself sit down on the chair he offers me. His hand strokes my shoulder and I get a serious déjà-vu to the first night where Chris seduced me. I blush at the memory. Ian sits down on the chair next to me and Jason positions himself behind me with his back against the wall. My protectors. I smile gratefully at them both.

“Arya?”

The sound of my name has me lifting my gaze to the male in front of me who spoke it in a mix of astonishment, insecurity and disbelief. He’s tall, no doubt a male, but absolutely nowhere near as tall or wide as the males in the mansion. His hair is blonde with a touch of red, but it’s his eyes that catch my attention the most; one blue and one green. Just like...

“Alec?” I whisper in disbelief and surprise. Surely it cannot me? The male in front of me smiles acknowledgely and Mother-Nature-help-me; I recognise that smile. Despite not having seen it for fifteen years, I recognise that smile as if I saw it yesterday. Alexander. _Brother_. My eyes over float with tears and I reach for him at the same time as he falls to his knees in front of me.

“Arya” he whispers astonished and reaches a hand for my face. I grab his hand between my own and the feeling of recognition goes through the both of us. My eyes fill with tears. So does his.

“It really _is_ you” Alexander whispers to me and I nod quickly. I hug his hand against my chest as I sniffle and try to keep myself together.

“I cannot believe it... I refused to let myself hope that it really was you...”

His voice breaks. I pull him in and his warm arms embrace me as we both cry from happiness. I blink away some of the tears and see that Ian, Jason and Chris has formed a little circle around us to give us a bit of privacy to reunite in, despite us being in a banquet hall surrounded by six dozen people. Chris’ steel grey eyes are fixated on me and I smile gratefully at him while I silently mouth ‘thank you’ to him. He smiles widely and satisfied. He found him. I paid his price – voluntarily – and he found my brother.

Very slowly –and reluctantly – Alexander releases his arms’ hard grip around me. He gets up and turns towards Chris.

“I don’t have words to describe my gratitude towards you. Not only did you protect me when I needed it, but now you have found my lost sister and are taking her as your queen; the greatest honour you can bestow upon me and my family. With all my heart I thank you, Christopher Ozera” Alexander says calmly. Chris reaches out his hand and the two males shake as Chris nods back.

“Arya has been my queen from the day she was born and no one is more grateful for her being found than I am. Her family is my family and her brother is my brother. Any Hathaway will always be under my protection” Chris replies. The pride is radiating out of him. Alexander smiles widely and nods in accept to Chris. I cannot stop myself from smiling widely. This is... this is just _so_ right. I am surrounded by males who love and admire me, and who wants to protect me with their lives. I look over at Ian who’s sitting next to me. _Brother_. The word is like an echo in my chest. I smile at him and those green eyes lights up as reply while a satisfied smile spreads on his lips.

I look up and realise that the music has started again and that people have formed their groups and are talking amongst themselves again.

“Are you thirsty?” Alexander asks me and I smile up at him while nodding.

“But no alcohol, please” I reply and a hint of understanding shows in his eyes. Does he know that I’m pregnant? Or does he have the same attitude towards alcohol as me after the accident that changed our lives? Does he also know that it was a drunken driver who forced our parents’ car off the road and into the forest? Has he hated alcohol ever since, just like me, because of that? Alexander disappears into the crowd in the direction of the bar, as an elderly couple approach me and Chris. They are perfectly dressed in their most perfect formal wear; the male is in a black suit with a yellow shirt underneath and the female is in a huge dark yellow dress that reminds me of the sun on a cloudless winter sky. Chris, who is standing so close to me that his thigh touches my shoulder, greets the female first and then the male before holding out his hand towards me.

“Macy, Jared, allow me to introduce you to Aryanne Hathaway, my female and queen?”

Chris’ voice is full of pride. I smile up and am about to stand, but Chris’ heavy hand on my shoulder stops me. The male greets me first, his lips are warm against the back of my hand and his eyes are warm too as well as acknowledging. As his lips touch the back of my hand, he slowly bows before me. His female curtsies, but I reach down my hand and she stares at it for the longest time, before she slowly put her own slender hand in mine. She mumbles something on their – our – language and I make a mental note to myself to ask Chris to teach me. I smile gratefully up at the female as a reply before her male takes a hold on her waist and leads her away from us again. The next couple is already lined up to greet us and soon a whole line of couples have formed even though there is a few singles in between who also greets us. It is as if all the guests in the banquet hall take turns in coming to greet us and the endless stream of new names fly by me while I desperately try to remember their faces instead.

“You’re so good at this, that I almost forget you haven’t been preparing for it your whole life like you were supposed to” Chris mumbles to me just before the very last couple in the entire hall steps up to us. I smile up to him. He turns towards the couple in front of us. I look up. And my heart almost stops.

“James?” I whisper silently as Chris with strained voice greets James and his female Victoria. He then introduces me for the, what, 50th time? – and I smile a bit insecure as James reaches for my hand. I let him take it and he falls to his knees in front of me.

“ _Karalieva_ ” he mumbles followed by a long set of sentences in their language that has Chris tighten his grip on my shoulder. I smile down at James, still insecure, and slowly pull my hand back. Victoria curtsies deeply and she maintains her position even when I offer her my hand.

“I apologise, my queen, but neither me nor my male is worthy of being offered your hand or your devotion” she says, still deeply sunken down in her curtsey with her gaze fixed on the floor. She puts an elbow into James’ side and he slowly bows down next to her in front of me. I can feel Chris straighten his back a bit, as the strain in his body is replaced with satisfaction. He is clearly liking this situation, but something about it seems wrong to me. If they are here to apologise for what happened with Dragan, it’s not their fault. It’s his. And yeah, it’s a bit weird considering what happened between Dragan and me – and James – that night so long ago. Well, it feels like it was a long time ago. But I cannot dwell on it. Chris is my future. I have chosen to be his. I reach out for both of Victoria’s hands and pull them to me so I force her to release her position and look at me.

“The past is the past, and none of us deserve to be stuck in it. So let us release it and look towards the future instead” I say warmly and the lovely brown eyes in front of me shine with tears as Victoria slowly nods to me.

“Thank you, my queen. You will not regret your devotion or your forgiveness” Victoria replies and a smile lights up her lovely heart-shaped face. I smile back. Then she grabs James’ arm and pulls him away from me. Chris’ huge hands surround my face and he pulls me up while his lips find mine in a passionate and burning hot kiss. I feel the heat spread in my body, but the realisation of us being surrounded by people makes me pull my lips back from Chris’ while I once again blush deeply.

“You... are... amazing” Chris mumbles and I smile up at him.

“Only because you make me so” I whisper back and let myself be pulled into those huge arms.

“Oh no, this is all you, female. _You_ are the one making _me_ a better male” Chris replies as he kisses me again. The music suddenly stops and Chris looks up at the band, before he nods approvingly.

“It is time” he announces loud and proudly. The mood in the room changes and becomes expectant. Oh. What’s happening now? Chris smiles widely before letting me go and the second he release me, I feel another hand on me and I look to the side; it’s Ian who has grabbed my elbow. He smiles warmly and expectantly at me. He knows!

“Dear friends and family” Chris starts with a voice than rings out in the entire banquet hall, “for the last five centuries our race has gotten weaker and fewer, and today we face the serious threat of extinction.”

I look around the room and almost everyone is nodding in agreement. Chris continues:

“My family and the other original families have desperately tried to protect us with all means, but we have faced resistance and distortion amongst ourselves which has made the battle almost impossible to win. We have lost family members and friends to this distortion. One of the original families, The Hathaways, was extinguished that horrible day over 20 years ago.”

I see something flash in Chris’ eyes as they look down at me. Is he making sure I’m still here? I force a calming smile at him. Then he looks out on the crowd again. I follow his gaze. Every face in the hall is wearing a sad mask; some even have wet eyes or tears falling down their cheeks. Shit. It’s really that bad.

“But as all of you have just witnessed, the Hathaway family is not extinguished as we have believed in all these years.”

A wide smile shows on Chris’ lips and he nods directly down to me. I blush.

“Aryanne and Alexander Hathaway are alive.”

Ian’s grip on my elbow tightens.

“And as I have just announced to you all, I have every intention of making Aryanne my queen; _your_ queen.”

A loud mumbled joy echoes in the large room and once again all those approving eyes turn towards me.

“Exactly as our parents intended it. Aryanne and I were betrothed when we were very young because our parents wanted to strengthen our race, strengthen our families to hold together against the extinction. And today we grant them their wish.”

Chris’ eyes turn to me again and he reaches down a hand to me. Ian leads me closer to the stage and I don’t even hesitate as I put my own hand in Chris’.

“Don’t be afraid, female” he whispers. I shake my head smiling at him.

“I am not afraid” I reply and a triumphant smile spreads in Chris’ face as he pulls me up in the stage next to him. He falls to his knees in front of me and grabs for my feet. What? Very slowly he pulls my stilettos off and puts them next to my feet. Then he reaches for my hands. While he’s on his knees in front of me. Oh. Shit.

“Arya, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you were mine. I knew that you belonged to me and that I belonged to you. I’ve felt dead inside my whole life but you have made me alive again. Your love, your strength, your kindness and honesty. Everything you are and everything you do makes me a better male. You make me want to be the strongest and most devoted mate for you; to please you and honour you. I will do everything in my power to make sure you’ll always look at me like you are right now. If you let me, I will protect you with my life. If you let me, I will love you and honour you with every beat of my heart until my last one. You are my female, my lover, my confidential, one half of me and the mother of my future children.”

The tears are falling down my cheeks beyond my control but I am smiling. I am smiling so much that my cheeks hurt. Chris’ steel grey eyes sparkle like diamonds and the sincerity radiates from them. He looks so strong and so vulnerable as he sits on his knees in front of me. He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a thin gold chain with a little hearts shaped charm. He reaches it out for me and I nod as an accept before he puts the lovely bracelet onto my right wrist. I notice how the charm is matte gold with an A and a C graved into it in a lovely twirl. Chris stands up in front of me as Ian steps up to the stage with us. I briefly look over at him in utter surprise because I have a feeling that something serious is about to happen now. Chris grabs both my hands and Ian approaches us. In his hands he carries a long, white ribbon embroidered with thin strays of gold that’s shaped like leaves and vines of flowers. Ian looks at me and then at Chris who nods to confirm. The thick ribbon is placed over our wrists and bound gently in a loose bow. I look up at Chris whose eyes are luminous and happy. Our hands are bound together and the symbolism is clear to everyone, even me; this is a bonding ceremony.

“You are mine and I am yours, and nothing has ever been truer than us” Chris says warmly as he smiles widely while throwing my own words back at me.

“That’s right, Chris” I whisper back as I hug his hands in my own, “I am yours and you are mine.”

Chris lowers his lips to mine and as our mouths meet, a low mumbling of joy and approval breaks out in the banquet hall. When Chris pulls his head back we are both breathing heavily and my body is warm and willing. He smiles to me and then he nods to Ian who steps in close to us and slowly but confidently unties the ribbon and pulls it off our wrists. Ian steps down from the stage just as another male steps up on it. Behind him two more males step up and they carry a chair and a little table with them. Oh. What now? Chris turns the chair around and sits down on it with the back of it against his chest. He opens his shirt and pulls it a bit down over his wide shoulders so his neck is exposed to the male behind him who is in the middle of unpacking something and placing it at the table. Wait, is that a tattoo machine?? I turn my head to look out to all the people in the hall, but no one seems surprised or disapproving. Actually, most of their faces show approval and respect. Over a tattoo? I turn towards Chris again. The tattooist has finished setting everything up and he pulls on a set of black latex gloves.

“Arya” Chris growls at me. I slowly step up to him and lower myself to my knees in front of him sitting on the chair. Chris reaches for me and I let him grab both my hands.

“Don’t look so scared, abranyaa, there is nothing I want more than your name in my skin” he mumbles to me and I gasp surprised as the tattoo machine starts with a buzzing sound.

“My name?” I whisper back and Chris smiles triumphantly.

“My bonding scent on you lets every male know that you are taken. This is the way a male shows that he is taken; the name of his female on his neck. It’s an homage and a promise to his female that he will forever be hers and no one else’s. Humans get wedding rings when they are married; we get tattoos when we are bonded.”

Warmth spread through my body. Wow. Just the thought of my name in Chris’ smooth skin makes the muscles in my abdomen tighten and my heart beat a little faster.

“No ring, huh? Do I get a tattoo too then?” I ask anxiously. Chris snorts at me.

“No. You’re not being exposed to that pain” he replies hard, while the tattooist continues his work on his neck. Chris barely seems to notice the pain from the machine sliding over his skin, but he’s got so many tattoos already that he’s probably used to the pain. I feel a stab of disappointment touch my heart and it must have shown in my face, because Chris raises one eyebrow at me.

“Do you _want_ to get a tattoo?” he asks surprised. I nod slowly. Now both his eyebrows lift at me.

“Well, I’m sure Magnus can be persuaded to do something on you later, but I don’t think that –“ Chris starts, but I interrupt.

“No, not ‘something’. _Your name_. I want your name on my body, just like you’re getting my name on yours” I reply seriously. Chris blinks a few times in surprise.

“My name?” he asks astonished and I nod seriously.

“Alright, we’re done, karol” Magnus says with a pleased smile as he straightens behind Chris. I let Chris pull me up with him and I look up at the freshly done tattoo on his neck. Wow. It’s amazing. So simple, yet so masculine. ‘Aryanne’ is written is hard, black letters across that smooth, soft skin. The tattoo looks like it’s shining with that redness around it. Like a neon sign. Of my name. I turn my head towards Magnus.

“Will you make one on me too?” I ask smiling. Magnus looks up at Chris and his eyes are anxious as if he’s either praying for permission or exemption. Or maybe he’s afraid of how Chris will react to his female being exposed to the pain from his work? Or how Chris will react if he does a bad job on me?

“Are you sure you want this, female?” Chris mumbles behind me and I smile widely as I lower myself onto the chair in front of Magnus while I nod. Magnus is still starring at Chris.

“No one else would be allowed to touch her” Chris mumbles to Magnus. I see Magnus sink hard before he nods his accept to Chris. Or maybe he’s thanking him for the confidence. Maybe it’s both. He grabs a new pair of gloves and turn towards the room. Another chair is brought to the stage put in front of me before Magnus takes a seat.

“Alright, karalieva, what can I do for you?” he asks kindly and professionally. I reach out my left wrist and turn it palm down.

“Christopher’s name on my wrist. So all who wants to greet me will see his name on my skin and know that I belong to their karol” I reply calmly. Magnus’ dark brown eyes shine with respect and approval. He clearly likes the idea. Good. I feel Chris’ hands on my shoulders as Magnus prepares to make a tattoo on my skin. He takes my hand and gently places it on his thigh before he looks up at me for my approval to begin. I nod to him. Then I hear the buzzing sound of the machine starting and what feels like the edge of a needle being scratched across my skin. It’s not comfortable, but not as painful as I thought it would be. The scratching pain soon becomes a burning pain as Magnus continues his work on my wrist. Chris’ hard grip on my shoulders never loosens. I look out at the people in the room. The acknowledgement is replaced with surprise but slowly it turns to respect and well, acknowledgement. I smile and my eyes catch Ian’s green eyes in the very front of them all. The pride and acknowledgement shine in his face. His approval is the most important of them all. I don’t know why, but it feels like he is more important to me than anyone else. Except Chris, of course.

*

“Alright” Magnus mumbles and the buzzing sound stops. I look down at his work and smile widely. It is perfect. ‘’ _Christopher_ ’’ is written is fine black letters in a lovely font across my fair skin. It’s not even anywhere near as masculine as Chris’ tattoo, the exact opposite actually; it’s so feminine and light and pretty. Perfect. I look up at Magnus and smile at him. Magnus nods back as he gently puts some crème on my tattoo and put a clear bandage over it. I get up and reach out my hand to thank him. He lowers himself to his knees in front of me and gently grabs my newly-tattooed hand in his own. His lips are warm and soft against my wrist while he mumbles a quick sentence. I suppress the urge to look over at Chris to get a sense of what Magnus is saying to me, because I want to keep my attention on him out of respect. So I place my free hand around Magnus’ brown face and lift his eyes to mine.

“I am deeply grateful for your work and your help” I say and smile, “and I would be even more grateful if you would consider becoming my only tattooist.”

I feel Chris almost gasp behind me, but Magnus smiles widely at me while he nods hard.

“It would be a great honour for me, karalieva” he replies and kisses my hand again. He gets up. Chris grabs me from behind and pulls me up before he turns me in his arms.

“Only tattooist” he mumbles to me with disapproval in his voice, “as if you are to be exposed to more pain. I barely survived watching that small one being done on you.”

I smile while I place my hands on Chris’ hard chest.

“I am getting our children’s names on my skin; just as you are I presume?” I ask questionably and Chris raises one eyebrow at me. I nod seriously.

“Yeah that’s what I thought. And if you are, so am I.”

It is as if the whole banquet hall freezes in time as everyone hold they breaths waiting for Chris’ reaction. It takes about a minute – but it feels like hours – before Chris slowly starts to smile at me. The smile becomes wider and I smile back at him. Then he turns us to the crowd and pushes me a bit forward.

“Your queen” he shouts and cheer erupts in the entire room. I blush deeply. Shit. The guests are clapping and whistling, and I once again catch Ian’s eyes. The pride is radiating from him. I smile shyly.

“Your queen” Chris repeats with loud and clear voice as the guests settle down again, “beautiful and strong, good and kind. I have not deserved her and yet she is mine. My female and your queen. Today marks change and sets the standard for the future of our race. May it be as our queen; strong and good.”

Cheer erupts again as they repeat the words ‘strong and good’. I feel steps behind us and look over my shoulder to see two males – the same ones who carried Magnus’ things to the stage – stepping up behind us, but they’re not carrying tattoo equipment now. No, in their hands are jewellery; more precisely a crown and a tiara. Shit. Is this a crowning ceremony too? The tiara is beautiful, absolutely stunning. Made of the shiniest gold I’ve ever seen, it’s formed like a headband of vines of leaves with shiny diamonds on it. In the middle the diamonds shape a five-leaved flower and amongst the leaves are big rocks shinning like little flowers amongst the stems and the leaves. Wow. Chris pulls me a little backwards and takes the amazing tiara from the male behind us. Then he turns towards me.

“Bend towards me” he whispers and I obey immediately. Chris places the beautiful tiara on my head. It’s surprisingly light, but then again, I’ve never worn a tiara so how would I know how heavy one is? I straighten and look up at Chris again. He radiates power and confidence, at he looks back at the male holding the other crown. It’s the crown for the king. Fitting. I reach for it and the male bows lightly as he lets me take the crown from him. Shit. It’s heavy. The beautiful crown in formed like a ring of thick branches of solid gold that twirl around the round socket. In the middle of the branches a huge five-bladed flower is placed in the front. The same flower as in my tiara. It is the crown for my king.

Chris smiles widely as he bends lightly in front of me, but he has to bow very low in order for me to reach the top of his head and place the beautiful and heavy crown on his blonde hair. He straightens and as he reaches an arm around my waist, he turns us towards the crown in the room. A wave of joy and excitement breaks out throughout the room. Everywhere people are mumbling “karalieva” or “karol” as a prayer or a chant. I feel Chris tug me in closer and I turn my head to look up at my male with tears of happiness in my eyes. Can things get any better?


	24. Blake Ozera

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: violence.

The doors to the banquet hall open and everyone's attention turn towards it. A single male enters the room and I feel my eyes pop and my mouth open in disbelief as I stare at the male in the other end of the room. How...? The male in the door opening is the male from that horrible dream I had yesterday in the car. It's my nightmare coming true right in front of my eyes. Shit. In the dream he was kinda hazy like covered in fog, but this male is very real and very alive. And right here. How…? The male is tall and wide, clearly an Other. Silver grey hair that was once dark, dark eyes, hard and huge body and I see dark tattoos down both his arms and all the way up to his neck so I'm guessing most of his upper body is covered in them despite it being hidden behind that tight grey t-shirt. His beard is dark but with silver grey in it. Shit. My dream... the whole room is frozen in the same disbelief that I'm feeling; no one dares to even breathe out loud. Chris is actually the only one who reacts to the male's arrival. He grabs me by the waist and shoves me behind himself hard and fast. Ian is the next one to move as he jumps up on the stage and positions himself on my side behind Chris. Jason is a bit slower, but a few seconds later he's also on the stage on my other side. _My protectors_. Alexander is still standing petrified on the floor and he looks confused between Chris and the male who just arrived. He doesn’t know who he is and I don’t either, but something inside me is screaming in warning. And the reactions of Chris, Ian and Jason confirm that scream. The male steps forward and he smiles widely as he lets his dark eyes roam around the room. Then he fixates his eyes on Chris.

“Quite the gathering you’re having, my dear nephew. My invitation must have been lost in the mail” he says and smiles even wider. _Nephew_? Shit! Is this Blake, father of Dragan? Chris’ uncle? Chris’ body seems to grow and harden.

“The last address I have on you is 20 years old, so the mailman had difficulties finding you, uncle” Chris replies hard and the hostility is easily detected. Blake smiles wide as he chuckles.

“Apology accepted, dear nephew. So, now that we have gotten the pleasantries out of the way, shall we proceed to the more serious nature of this conversation?” Blake says and steps further into the room. Behind him several males enter; all heavily armed. They storm into the hall like ants from an anthill. Shit. Chris seems to grow even bigger – how is that even possible?! – while Ian and Jason step even closer to me so their arms are tightly pressed in against mine. The almost crush me between them, but I have fear pounding through me like never before so I don’t mind their protecting. It seems like an endless stream of armed males who surround the crowd in seconds; there has got to be more than 50 males because they have positioned themselves along both walls from the front door and all the way up to the stage too. Gasps and low whispers are heard from the crowd and I even see a female – Mary? Macy? – the one is the yellow dress, pass out in her male’s arms. Blake is standing completely calm and expectant as his males invade and occupy the room. His smile is wide and triumphant. It reminds me a bit of Chris’ actually. When the males have positioned themselves everywhere, the whole room becomes quiet. The only thing I can hear is the loud thump of my own heart beating so hard out of fear that I almost fear it jumping out of my chest.

“Aryanne Hathaway” Blake smiles and Chris’ huge body jerks at the same time as mine does. I hear Chris hiss aggressively towards his uncle, but Blake seems completely indifferent.

“Our new queen and the mother of my future grandchild, it would have been a greater pleasure meeting you under different circumstances, but here we are” he says and his eyes are fixated at me even through the large and long room.

“It’s not your grandchild” Chris and Ian hiss at the same time. Blake smiles widely.

“Ahh Ian McEwan, I haven’t seen you since you were a kid; since you were merely a young lanky boy, not even a teen yet. You have certainly become a thoroughbred male since, but you do have great genes with you, at least on your father’s side.”

Ian’s body harden as he snorts arrogantly at Blake.

“What do you know of my _backa_ , old male?” he growls as a reply and once again Blake smiles arrogantly. That is a really annoying smile.

“More than you, _dzicia_. I am the only one in this room who knows your father’s true identity” Blake replies with another arrogant smile I feel Ian’s body stiffen and his hard attitude fades a bit.

“You’re lying” Ian replies, but even I can hear the insecurity in his voice.

“I never lie, _dzicia,_ and most certainly never about something as serious as paternity. Your mother was a beautiful female and despite her low status as a nurse, she was surrounded by males, even males from the original families. When she learned of her pregnancy with you, she came to me to get help to hide from your biological father who was my best friend, because she didn’t want him to know about you as it would ruin everything for him” Blake says and his eyes stray to me for a second before they return to Ian. I feel Ian take every word in.

“She never told me who he was” Ian replies weakly. Shit. Blake has found Ian’s weak spot; his biological father. Blake nods in understanding.

“No, that was a secret she only shared with me. Do you want me to tell you who he was?” Blake asks and again his eyes stray to me. Chris takes a step forward to block Blake’s view to me.

“Tell me” Ian growls as his attitude becomes harder. As if he’s preparing himself for the answer.

“Your father was Odrian Hathaway” Blake replies. A loud gasp echoes in the crowd. My heart nearly stops beating. Odrian Hathaway... as in...

Both Ian and Chris snorts as the same time.

“Liar” Chris growls and I can hear Blake’s deep laughter even if I cannot see his face.

“You should know me better than that, dear nephew. No, this is not a lie. Odrian was indeed betrothed to Annabelle Belaruz since they were infants, but that did not hinder him in having fun before he bonded himself to her, amongst others with Rosalina” Blake replies calmly and continues; “after Rosalina disappeared from Odrian’s life, he found it was about time to grow up and live up to his betrothal, so he finally bonded himself to Annabelle and shortly thereafter Aryanne was born and a few years later came Alexander.”

My eyes find Alec who is still standing petrified watching the whole situation in front of him with huge eyes. My brother has never been a warrior and he is not about to become one now. But if Blake is right... then Ian is my brother too. The son of Odrian Hathaway. My biological father. I turn my head to look up at Ian who turns his head towards me at the same time. His green eyes are huge and vulnerable. Oh shit. How come I’ve never seen that before? Those green eyes... it’s like looking into a mirror. _Brother_. The word echoes in my chest and everything suddenly makes sense. No, Blake isn’t lying. Ian _is_ my brother. I don’t even need his green eyes or Blake’s words of the past to know the truth in my heart. The truth that has echoes in my chest from the very first second I met him.

“Ian” I whisper and grab his hand. He hugs it tightly in his own and I smile up at him with tears in my eyes.

“ _Brother_.”

Ian’s green eyes mirror mine and I know he feels the same as I do; the bond that cannot be denied anymore.

“ _Siastra majha_ ” Ian replies hoarsely and hugs my hand so hard that my fingers hurt.

“How sweet. Brother and sister have found each other. It’s a big day for you, Aryanne. When you entered this hall, you had no brothers and were the last of your family. Now you have two brothers and your family have tripled in a matter of hours” Blake says cheerful. Ian hugs my hand harder. I silently mouth ‘ouch’ but luckily no one sees it.

“Quadrupled, actually, if I am seeing right. You are in the middle of bonding yourself to Christopher, are you not?”

Chris hisses as a reply and Blake chuckles again. His cheerfulness is probably the most annoying thing ever.

“Yes, that’s what I thought. So your family has gained three new members tonight and clearly another one is on its way when my grandchild arrives in less than a month.”

“It’s not Dragan’s” I exclaim loud and clear but annoyed, while Ian and Jason step even closer to me. Chris is still blocking my view to Blake, but it doesn’t really matter. My nightmare is very real and even though his presence here doesn’t make sense to Chris or Ian, or anyone else probably, I already know why Blake has come; he wants me and my baby. I don’t know _how_ I know, but I have never been surer about anything before.

“Sweet female, it doesn’t matter if the father is Christopher or Dragan, it’s still my grandchild in your belly” Blake replies. Chills run through my blood. What is he saying?

“What are you talking about, uncle?” Chris asks carefully, because he now too realises why Blake is here; for our baby. And he’s not taking it lightly anymore. Blake snorts a few times but I sense him move closer to the stage. I even see the crowd part to make way for him to walk through the hall uninterrupted.

“You’ve been calling me ‘uncle’ for the last 35 years, but actually you should be calling me something else. You should be calling me ‘father’.”

Blake’s voice is so close, _too_ close, so he must be only a few meters from the stage by now, but Chris is still blocking my view. His body is harder than I’ve ever seen it before and I hear my own gasp echo in the hall. Shit. _What_?

“And before you start calling me a liar again, dear Christopher, I must again remind you that I do not have a habit of lying, especially not about something as serious as paternity. I told your _blizki_ the truth about his father and I am telling you the truth about your father. I am not your uncle and Dragan is not your cousin; I am your biological father and Dragan is your half-brother.”

The room is so quiet that you would be able to hear a pin fall to the floor. Then Chris takes a deep breath.

“How?”

The loud word echoes in the room. I feel the surrender in Chris’ attitude and even with Chris’ huge body between us I still feel the satisfaction and superiority radiate from Blake.

“Yes, I can imagine that that is a story your mother haven’t wanted to tell anyone, not even your father as far as I know” Blake chuckles and an aggressive hiss escapes Chris’ lips.

“Did you know that the night your parents met when they were teenagers, Amalya met me first? She had actually spent the entire night in my company and was very close to accepting a betrothal to _me_ , when your father showed up and stole her attention from me. The next day they went to our parents and asked for permission to bond and the bonding was planned the week after. Why it had to happen so fast, no one knows, but the day before their bonding I decided that I, for once, would win over your father. Throughout our childhood he had been arrogant and superior to me in any way he could and he was favoured by everyone – even your mother. But this time I would be the superior one. So the night before their bonding, I sought out Amalya in the middle of the night and I made sure that she would forever remember me as her first.”

A collective gasp echoes in the hall and a second later Chris has positioned himself to attack.

“You _raped_ my mother?” he growls hard and his anger is sparkling in the air around him like a red aura of fury. Blake chuckles again. That son of a b...

“Rape is such a harsh word, dear Christopher, but of course, if the female is screaming ‘ _no’_ it’s hard to find another word for it.”

Thát does it. Chris attacks. I scream. Chris throws himself off the stage and manages to plant a hard fist in Blake’s face before he is surrounded by armed males who pry him off and then point their weapons directly at his head. That forces Chris to stop his attack, but his anger has not faded even a little bit. Blake smiles widely as he pulls out a handkerchief from his back pocket and wipes the blood from his mouth away.

“I guess I deserved that one” he smiles, while his males force Chris to his knees.

“No!” I scream in horror, but the males ignore me completely. Blake doesn’t. He turns his attention towards me and I finally get a good look at him from up close. Shit. The power and the arrogance radiate from every cell of his body and I get a vague déjà-vu from that day in the cabin where I saw Chris for the first time. Same arrogance and same powerful attitude. Is Blake really Chris’ biological father? Is everyone in the race just the product of whoring and rape, or is anyone really biologically related like they’ve been told they were? Is my biological father even mine? Or Alec’s? Blake smiles widely.

“Ah Aryanne. You really are a beautiful female; I can certainly understand why both my sons have bonded with you. And that pregnancy looks good on you; you practically radiate life and femininity, both very attractive qualities in a female” Blake says with his arrogant smile. Ian step in front of me, now that Chris is out of the way.

“You stay the fuck away from her” Ian growls in my defence. Blake chuckles again.

“You _dzicias_ are not the smartest ones, are you? I am your superior, both in age but also in power.”

Blake whistles so loud that it hurts my ears. The heavy front door is opened from the outside and more males enter the room. But they are not alone.

“No...” I whisper horrified as my eyes fill with tears. No... just no.

“You can save both of their lives, Aryanne” Blake mumbles seriously, “you’re a smart female. You know how.”

I press my eyes shut in a desperate try to get the image of a bound and unconscious Vladimir and a bound but awake Megan out of my head. I can’t. And when I open my eyes again, nothing has changed. Vladimir is still hanging lose in the arms of two huge males, while Megan is carried in the arms of only one. But even if she hadn’t been bound or weak from Bryan’s torture, she wouldn’t have had a chance against the brute holding her tight. I instinctively take a step forward and grab Ian’s wrist. He turns his head towards me as he shakes it.

“No, Arya, that is _not_ happening” he growls, completely aware of what I intend to do. My eyes become wet while I shake my head.

“There is no other way” I whisper back as I let my eyes search for Vladimir and Megan, then down to Chris who sits on his knees in front of Blake with two guns pointed at his head and his hands on his thighs. I don’t have a choice. If I don’t give myself to Blake, he will kill anyone who tries to defend me and take me anyway. If I do go with him, I might have a chance at saving everyone I care about. I blink away a few tears, but as I try to take a step forward, Ian stops me.

“You have to let me go” I whisper and feel Blake’s attention on us, but I ignore it.

“I cannot let you go, Arya. You are not only my _karalieva_ , you are my sister and I gave you a promise. Do you remember what you made me promise you?” Ian growls in pain.

“This isn’t Dragan” I whisper but Ian just shakes his head violently.

“It’s his father, for fuck sake! It’s the same thing!” Ian exclaims loudly and I almost take a step back as his words hit me like fists.

“She’s right, _dzici_ , you need to let her go. Sister or not, if you do not step aside you will be removed with force” Blake states indifferent, as if he doesn’t care which option Ian chooses. Ian shakes his head and looks down at Chris, whose eyes are lightning with fury. Ian nods determined and shoves behind him again. Blake sighs loudly.

“Hathaways... you are so stubborn” he growls and nods once. Everything is happening too fast for me to follow. I see the males around us step in closer and Ian getting ready to fight. Then the closest four males seem to throw themselves at Ian and just as Jason steps up to the stage to join the fight, I feel a set of strong arms grab me from behind. The grip is pulling me backwards, away from Ian and Jason and I am about to scream for help, when a familiar feeling of warmth and safety settles in my body and I recognise the strong, hard arms that has closed around me.

“ _Chris_ ” I whisper surprised and relieved; my prayer of gratitude. I turn in his arms and throw myself around his neck. I don’t notice the blood on his face or shirt, nor do I notice the rubber-like bandage on his neck or the torn up suit. The only thing I notice is his warm, safe body and his bonding scent surrounding us both.

“My Arya” he whispers back as his arms tighten their grip around me; hard and wonderfully. Then Chris starts to drag me away from the fight and away from Blake. I hear a loud displeased sigh and then a snort.

“I must admit; I _am_ impressed, dear Christopher” Blake says loud and clear as if to outshout the sounds of the fighting between us.

“But it doesn’t change anything.”

The sound of multiple guns and rifles being loaded sound too loud. The fighting around us stops by the sound. I turn in Chris’ arms and see that every piece of weapon in the room is loaded and pointing high; most are pointed towards the crowd, but some are pointed at Ian, Jason, Megan and Vladimir. And at Alec. At my brothers. There are weapons pointed at both my brothers. At everyone I care about.

“Besides, it’s not your choice to make, my son” Blake mumbles as he fixates his dark eyes at me. Shit!

“It’s yours, Aryanne. You now have the choice between saving everyone in this room or try to save yourself. The myth does speak of your child being the saviour of us all, but maybe it gets it from its _mací_.”

Blake smiles widely. I let my eyes wander through the hall and see the many frightened looks amongst the guests. And the determined looks on Blake’s males. It’s not even a choice.

“Do you promise to spare everyone in this room if I give myself to you?” I ask loud. Blake’s smile becomes radiant and Chris’ grip around me tightens.

“ _No, Arya_ ” Chris growls into my hair. Blake nods as he holds my eyes.

“You have my word that I will spare everyone in this room if you come down here and surrender yourself to me” Blake replies seriously. His eyes are hard but sincere. Shit. He’s serious. He really is giving me the choice. He really is allowing me to save everyone.

“Arya, no” Chris growls again and hugs me so hard into his body, that I almost gasp for air. His anger is emerging from his huge body and that dark spice of his bonding scent is hanging heavily in the air round me. How can I ask my male to let me go in this very second where his protective nature is so powerful that it’s like an aura around me? This is where I belong; in Chris’ arms, protected by his hard body and with his child in my belly. How am I going to let that go?

“What’s it gonna be, Aryanne?” Blake asks impatiently, and I feel the tension in the room become heavier. Everyone is awaiting my decision. I turn in Chris’ arms and look up into his steel grey eyes. The sight of him; strong, hard and protective, makes my eyes water.

“I’m sorry, Chris” I whisper defeated. I see the change in his eyes when he realises what I am about to do and say. His eyes become vulnerable, but then they darken with hardness.

“I will not let you go, female. You are _mine_ ” he growls hard. I nod as the tears in my eyes become too many to hold in.

“I don’t have a choice” I whisper broken. Chris grabs my face hard. I gently lift both of my hands to grab his wrists, to feel the sensation of his warm, hard hands around my face.

“My whole life I have been feeling like I didn’t belong, like I was an outsider in the world because I didn’t fit in, because I didn’t feel like I belonged in the life that I was living. Being forced into this world, meeting you... I’ve never been so afraid before. But this is it; this is who I am, this is where I belong. Right here, with you. I’ve always been yours; I will always be yours, Christopher, nothing will ever change that.”

I can literally feel how Chris’ heart breaks by my words and my use of his full name.

“I love you, Arya. I have always loved you. I will love you until I die. And if there is a life after this, I’ll love you then too” he whispers back and now my heart is the one breaking.

“Please let me go.”

It’s a prayer and a command at the same time. Chris shuts his eyes hard. He is clearly fighting between respecting my wish, my prayer and obeying my command, and having the bonded male in him that is all about keeping me safe. Very slowly his grip around my face loosens. I feel how my heart falls to pieces at the same time as Chris’ hands leave my skin. And the second he no longer touches me, my heart is nothing but a pile of bloody broken pieces on the floor. There is nothing left in my chest. I reach for his face, but stop myself just a few inches before I touch his warm, smooth skin. Instead I reach up to my head and gently remove the beautiful tiara. I keep my eyes on Chris as I slowly hold it out for him. He takes is reluctantly and I take a step back; away from Chris. Even through my wet tears I can see the light in his eyes fade as I step away from him. Every emotion in my body is screaming for me to throw myself into Chris’ arms and be safe, but I tell them all to shut up except for the one little piece of reason who is the only one on team save-everyone-and-surrender-yourself-to-Blake. What a shitty team to root for.

“Come down here, Aryanne” Blake growls. I turn away from Chris and take a deep breath half expecting to be pulled back any second now. I’m not. So I accept the hand that Blake has reached out to me as he offers to help me down from the stage. Blake bows gently before me like he is showing me respect.

“Aryanne Hathaway, I actually had my doubts about you. Sacrificing yourself to save all these strangers, well, and of course your family and friends too. You have my deepest respect, _karalieva_ ” Blake says seriously. I stare indifferent at hi because I don’t care about his respect. He can shove it up his...

Blake smiles widely.

“A true queen, proud, strong and worthy until the end” he mumbles with shining eyes. He steps in close to me and I hear an aggressive hiss from behind me somewhere. It’s Chris. I resist the urge to take a step back, but stay exactly where I am as I let Blake step in so close that I can feel the warmth from his body radiate towards me.

“You may seem strong and fearless, but believe me; I can smell your fear underneath all that dignity and queen-aura you’re trying to project. But don’t worry, Aryanne, I will keep your secret. As you may have noticed, I am very good at keeping secrets” Blake mumbles so low, that only I can hear. He smiles at me again. I resist the urge to reach out and smack him right in that confident, smirking face. Maybe that could quell that arrogant smile a bit. Blake takes a step back and I silently exhale, because the fear is pounding through my blood. Blake is right. I am terrified of him. You would think that I would be used to being surrounded and threatened by powerful strangers by now. But I guess that’s not a habit you can get. Blake once again offers me his hand. I slowly look behind be to get one last look at Chris as I try to take a mental picture of my male for the very last time. Blake is not going to let me go again. This is not him borrowing me or renting me until my baby is born. This is the last chapter of my life. My last role is to give birth to a saviour – and when I have done that role, Blake will no longer have any use for me and my life will end with my role. Chris is still on the stage but with Ian’s hard arms tightly around his waist as if Ian is trying to hold Chris back. The pained look in those steel grey eyes will haunt me forever.

I reach for Blake and feel his hard hand close around mine before he starts dragging me with him through the crowd; away from the stage and away from Chris. Away from everyone I care about. I see Vladimir get thrown down onto the floor and the male holding Megan release the ropes around her hands before he lets her go too. She throws herself down at Vladimir; either to protect him with her own body or to check if he is still alive. Maybe both. Her wet, brown eyes catch mine as Blake pulls me past her and the apology is so clearly written in them. I shake my head at her. This is not her fault. I actually have a pretty good idea of whose fault it is. And if I have any say in it – and if Chris has – he won’t be alive for much longer.

Blake pulls me up the stairs and into the ice cold night to a car parked in front of the mansion. There are at least 12 cars parked in front of the mansion but only one with a running engine. Blake holds my hand hard while I step into the car and he gets in to sit next to me. He hasn’t even closed his door completely when the car starts to accelerate with screeching tires.

“You promised to let everyone go unharmed” I whisper hoarsely without looking at Blake, but out of the corner of my eyes I see him nod anyway. I yank my hand back.

“And I am a male of my word. But I need quite a lot of distance between you and my son, before I let him and his friends leave. If we are not far away, he will be able to follow us and try to get you back. That will only end badly for him and maybe even for you if you get caught in the middle of the crossfire. I cannot take that chance, you understand, don’t you, Aryanne” Blake answers calmly. I shut my eyes hard. Yeah, I understand. I understand that it destroys any hope I might have of Chris following us to save me even though I myself just forced him to let me go. So why would he even try to save me?

“Where is Dragan?” I ask calmer than expected. Blake turns towards me and grab my jaw hard to force me to look at him.

“Why do you ask, Aryanne?”

Blake’s voice is hard but careful. He’s not sure why I’m asking or if I have some secret agenda behind my question. I don’t. But in truth, I am scared shitless of not only the threat of Blake towards me and my baby, but Blake isn’t just that; he’s also Dragan’s father. And as his father and companion, Dragan is probably wherever he is taking me. Considering out last meeting... yeah, I don’t want to run into him in fear of what he would want to do to me. Blake seems to read every fear and though in my face because he slowly shakes his head at me.

“You do not have to worry about Dragan anymore. Just as with Christopher, none of my sons will ever touch you again.”

A stab of fear goes through me. Will he himself...? Blake smiles widely but shakes his head.

“ _No_ , Aryanne, you do not have to worry about me either. I am an old male and you are a young queen in your most beautiful age. I knew both your parents as your father was my best friend, so you are more like a daughter for me than a future mistress. And besides the fact that you are pregnant and bonded to my son, I too have a female I am bonded to and have been for many years. So you do not have anything to worry about or fear from anyone on that matter as long as you are under my protection” Blake says almost gently. I exclaim a hysterical laugh.

“Protection? Is that what you’re calling this? Don’t you think the prober word is kidnapping? Or imprisonment?” I reply hysterically and feel the tears form again. I pull my jaw free from Blake’s grip and turn away from him.

“You can call it whatever you want, Aryanne. A name doesn’t change what it is. You of all people should know this; you who have been so many names in your short life. Aryanne Hathaway, Arya Janson, Arya Malvern, Aryanne Ozera” Blake says, but I ignore him and keep my eyes on the darkness outside the car. My fingers are absentmindedly playing with the bracelet and the little gold heart. The situation itself is too familiar as I have been held kidnapped in a car too many times in the last few weeks. First Dragan, then Chris and now Blake. Just call me The Ozera Kidnapping Victim, please.


	25. Learning the past to prepare for the future

We’ve been on the road for many hours in complete silence, when the first light of the day begins to appear in the horizon behind the heavy, grey clouds of snow and I am finally giving in to the exhaustion. I wake up groggy to see that the sun is now high on the sky. Shit. We’ve been on the road all night and most of today too. Where are we? The landscape outside is completely unknown to me, but it slowly becomes filled with hills and I even seen snow-covered mountains around us. Shit. North? To my surprise I discover that I am covered in a thick woollen jacket that has been laid over me like a blanket. Seriously? I turn towards Blake who is deeply concentrated on the old book in his hands. It looks ancient and it’s so worn that it almost falls apart in his hands.

“You’re awake” Blake mumbles still with his eyes on the book. I shrug.

“Where are we?” I ask without taking my eyes off him. He finally lifts his head and meets my eyes.

“Far away from Christopher” Blake replies arrogantly, “that’s all you need to know.”

I sink hard.

“What do you want with me?” I ask as my voice breaks. Blake’s eyes seem a bit gentler by the sound. He nods towards the book in his hands.

“When I got these myths translated more than 20 years ago, I immediately realised that they were about Dragan or Christopher. Morten was a newborn, but he is half-human, so he would not be a candidate for the prophecy. I retired from the public only because I wanted to dedicate my life to this prophecy that was about me. I wanted it to come true. When Christopher and Maria became pregnant, I was convinced that the prophecy was about their child, despite her not being a lost daughter, nor had she risen from the dead. But how could anyone? That part of the prophecy could be wrong. And Dragan was so busy fooling around with several females and none who mattered, so it had to be Christopher and his Maria. But when Maria suddenly died from pregnancy complications and didn’t rise from the dead... the prophecy died too. I had to reconsider if it really was what I had believed it to be or if the translation had been wrong? Dragan had finally grown up after what happened with Maria, but it also drove him away from the race and our fight to survive after the old ways. Christopher almost went celibate after Maria, even after my brother died and he took over the regency, because with no one to force his hand into a bonding, he didn’t have to choose a female. So it had to be the prophecy that was translated wrongly. Maybe it wasn’t a son of Blake, but Blake himself? Or a descendent of Blake? It took me many years to find Professor Howard and when I finally did, I couldn’t risk showing myself yet. Everyone thought I was dead or gone forever, and if people found out I was alive, they could demand me to dethrone Christopher or he could see it as an act of war if I suddenly shoved up, but I have no ambition to be king. So I had to stay hidden and get help instead. I asked Dragan to help me despite him being in The Resistance, but he was more than willing to help when I explained that the prophecy was about him and his future child.”

Blake takes a deep breath, as he keeps his eyes on me. I try to let all this information sink in and make sense, but shit, it’s a lot to understand.

“And I must admit that when Dragan told me about the human professor’s new translation and the female he was fooling around with, I did not in my wildest fantasy imagine that it was Aryanne Hathaway making the prophecy come true before my very eyes.”

Blake smiles to himself and shakes his head lightly.

“It wasn’t until this Tuesday when Dragan told me about you being pregnant, that I started to believe you might be the one in the prophecy and that it really was about Dragan and his baby. But then last night Dragan contacted me again and told me that you had chosen to be with Christopher and that you in fact were Aryanne Hathaway who we all believed dead as a child. Everything suddenly made sense, especially with Howard’s corrections about the first born in the translation.”

I sink hard.

“ _Your_ first born?” I mumble insecure. Blake nods arrogantly.

“My first born is Christopher, despite no one knew he was mine. Dragan was born a few years later to a female I wasn’t bonded to, not that it matters in accordance to the prophecy. So if you really are the one the prophecy is about, then that baby in your belly is Christopher’s, according to Howard’s translation” Blake replies and I close my eyes in relief. Chris’ baby. My little blonde baby girl. I look over at Blake.

“So I get that Chris is an Ozera, because he’s the son of Christopher Ozera, but you are an Ozera too, aren’t you? Blake Ozera?”

Blake nods calmly.

“So if Dragan is your son, why isn’t he named Ozera too? I heard Chris call him something else.. Ahm.. Choshny, maybe?”

Blake nods again.

“Oh he is. But when Dragan ran after that happened to Maria, he was scared that The Resistance would reject him or maybe even kill him if they knew he was an Ozera, so he changed his name to his mother’s birth name, Chozny. She was a direct descendent of an original family, despite not bearing one of their names” Blake replies and I nod to him as if I understand. But honestly? I can’t keep track of these crazy and complicated family-trees anymore. They seem to have children randomly within and out of their families and marriages. But Blake does seem to know everything, so who better to ask about my own family and my past than him?

“Who are the original families?” I ask with sincere curiosity. Blake smiles widely.

“The five original families are Hathaway, Ozera, Amaraz, Belaruz and Moroz. Your mother was a Belaruz before she married your father and became a Hathaway. Ozera and Hathaway have been the strongest families for centuries with Belaruz and Moroz as the third and fourth strongest. Amaraz has been the weakest for a very long time and there is only a few, no more than a handful that matters left now. Your friend Megan is a very good example of what’s left of them and why there aren’t more.”

I hiss aggressively towards Blake, but he seems completely indifferent.

“You asked, Aryanne” he replies arrogantly, “Shall I continue?”

I nod reluctantly.

“But you don’t have to talk down about people I care about” I reply hard which earns me a smile from Blake.

“I am telling you the truth. That you can always expect from me” Blake relies and I nod once.

“Alright, where was I? Oh yes, Moroz. Your friend Vladimir is a Moroz as well as the cousin of Christopher’s Maria. But he is a very good example of the Moroz family in general; a warrior, strong and fierce and very loyal to the Ozeras. And the Hathaways for that matter, especially considering what happened between your father and Vladimir’s back when he was just a kid. Anyway, that should have made the Moroz one of the strongest families, but in fact, they are not. Too many broken links in the chain and the Moroz have long been the black sheep of the original families. The other original families have therefore been hesitant to marry their children off to a Moroz, making the Moroz almost as instinct as the Amaraz family. There are only a few left who are still active in society, Vladimir and Kalya as the most prominent ones, but everyone else seem to have retired from the social life to live in anonymity somewhere else in the world than here. And your own family Hathaway have been eradicated since your parents were killed 20 years ago, so your brothers and yourself are the only ones left. And your child, of course, although I assume that it will become an Ozera and not a Hathaway, so it will not be able to carry on the family name. That will have to be left in the hands of your brothers and their children. Even though Ian isn’t officially a Hathaway, it can be arranged for him for be allowed to take the family name as I am able to vouch for the truth about his heritage and of course, there is the modern way of DNA-testing a blood sample to prove that he is in fact your brother. Last we have the Belaruz family, which is probably the largest family at the moment, even though the Ozeras can’t be far behind in size. Many of the guests at the gathering was indeed Belaruz’ and Ozeras. I didn’t see any Moroz until your friend Vladimir arrived with me. Nor any Amaraz besides your friend who also arrived with me, underlining the importance of what I have just told you.”

Blake smiles widely and I suppress an urge to hiss aggressively at him, because it will do me no good.

“Dragan’s mother, your female, is she still alive?” I ask suddenly as it dawns on me that no one has ever mentioned her, not Dragan nor Chris and not even Blake himself but that still doesn’t have to mean that she’s-

“No, Marianna died in childbirth, mere hours after having given birth to Dragan” Blake says as he shakes his head. I can hear the untold pain the tone of Blake’s words. Maybe this explains Dragan’s relationship with females, if he’s never had a strong female figure to look up to and mirror himself in? And if Blake has been gone for the last 20 years, Dragan can’t have been more than a kid when he lost his other parent too. A stab of pity settles in my heart, despite everything that Dragan has done to me.

“And Olenna? Your mother? She doesn’t even know you’re alive?” I whisper when I suddenly realise that Olenna is Blake’s mother. She believes that both of her sons are dead and she wasn’t at the gathering so she hasn’t seen Blake alive like everyone else. Blake shakes his head at me.

“No, my mother knows nothing. I suspect she knows _now_ , but that doesn’t matter” Blake says arrogantly. How can he be indifferent towards his own mother? The female who birthed him. I turn my head to look out the window and my eyes search the landscape for any escape from this ruthless and cold-hearted male sitting next to me. But I find none. The landscape is just as cold as he is with the snow covering the ground everywhere I look and the further north we get the more mountains I see in the horizon. I look up at them as I let my head try to wrap itself around all of this new information that Blake had told me. Suddenly the car turns off the highway and onto a much smaller road that eventually turns into a single path going in through a dense forest. We drive through what seems like the largest forest in the world for at very long time, until a huge clearing shows up like out of nothing. And in the middle of this clearing in the forest is a huge mansion placed and with its marble stones it looks so out of place here in the middle of nature.

“Your humble home...?” I mumble sarcastically towards the huge mansion in front of me. Blake ignores my comment without dignifying it with a reply so I take it he doesn’t like snarky side remarks. Well, too bad for him. The car is parked right in front of the huge staircase leading up to the mansion and Blake gets out of the car himself, before he reaches in a hand for me. I put my own in his because what other choice do I have? Blake pulls me out of the car into the bright afternoon sun that blinds me even though heavy clouds hang in the horizon, threatening to send a fresh cover of snow down on us. We’re only in November, can we hold off with the snow, please. Then he gets back into the car and leaves me all alone standing in the middle of the snow and my body wants to run but my reason knows better. Suddenly Blake is back in front of me and I almost yelp in surprise.

“A 3 second head start and you didn’t try to run. I’m a little disappointed in you, Aryanne” Blake mumbles with a half smile but I just stare back at him.

“Why? You’re just going to catch me again anyway, aren’t you?” I bite back, which earns me another half smile from Blake.

“True. And who would you run to anyway? Your beloved Christopher?” Blake smiles, but the mentioning of Chris has my blood turning warm with anger.

“Don’t even say his name; you have no right to-”

“I have every right, Aryanne. I have the only right” Blake interrupts as he stares coldly at me. He is indeed Chris’ father because that changing from hot to cold in seconds is something Chris does too.

“He will come for me” I snap hard and I almost expect Blake to become angry with my defiance, but he just smiles at me. Arrogantly, I might add.

“Ah young love. You should forget about him, Aryanne. There is no version of this where you are saved by Christopher or -”

“I will never give up on Chris. Never” I snap and I’m not even thinking as my hand lifts to slap Blake across the face. What the fuck is wrong with me?! Do I have a death wish or some shit! Blake grabs both of my upper arms in a steel hard grip and he pulls me so close into him that I can feel his hard body against my breasts. The feel of him makes me want to vomit.

“The life you knew is _gone_. You belong to _me_ now. And Christopher will give up on you. He will not save you. You told him to let you go and he did.”

Blake’s words are like a bucket of ice water being dropped into my face. I feel my eyes become wet, but tighten my jaw as I refuse to give in to the pain I’m feeling in my chest. What if Blake is right? What if Chris isn’t coming for me? What if he gives up on me? Blake releases my arms and turns us towards the mansion. His hand is on the small of my back as he leads me up the stairs and in through the huge front door; into the lobby which turns out to be enormous. The floor is all done in beige marble which is shinning so much is must have been polished seconds ago. In front of us are two huge marble staircases leading up a higher level of the house and to the sides of me are several doors, but they’re all closed. I am completely taken by the beautiful lobby and I don’t notice the heavy door slam behind me or Blake stepping up next to me. I do however notice the gorgeous tall red-headed female coming down one of the staircases. Holy crap, she’s breathtakingly beautiful. Her hair is so red it looks like it’s on fire and it falls like a wave of lava down her back, all the way down below her butt. She is wearing a long knitted black dress with long sleeves that actually covers her from neck to toes and holy crap; she’s barefooted. Her face is completely natural without the shadow of make-up, but she doesn’t need it at all. Every inch of her porcelain white skin is covered with the most beautiful orange freckles and it’s the most beautiful make-up I’ve ever seen. She descends the stair and as I get a closer look at her, she’s older than I expected, probably in her mid 50’s and suddenly it dawns on me that this must be Blake’s female. And right I am. Blake steps forward as the redhead reaches the bottom of the stairs and his arms open for her. Her face is lit up with joy when she steps into his huge arms and accept his lips on her own. I feel my own cheeks burn bright red because being witness to this intimate reunion is so wrong. But on the other hand, it’s not like I’ve chosen it for myself. I’m kidnapped, remember?

“ _Dahari_ ” the female whispers softly and Blake slowly lets go of her lips. Her head turns towards me and I see that her cheeks are as red as mine from the intimate kiss her male has just given her. She pulls out of Blake’s arms and take a step towards me. I don’t know if I should pull back from her of reach out my hand?

“ _Maya karalieva_ ” she smiles and sinks to a low curtsey in front of me. Holy crap, I did _not_ expect that. Her movements are graceful and elegant despite her tall figure and as she stands up, her smile is warm and genuine. I look into her lovely grey-green eyes and am completely speechless.

“My name is Vasilissa Ozera, welcome to my home.”

She reaches out a fair, freckled hand towards me and I hesitate for a second before I let her take my left hand in her own. Her eyes fall to the tattoo and her smile becomes wider. Then she releases my hand and points towards one of the closed doors.

“You must be so hungry, sweet girl. The long drive up here and in your condition. Come with me and I will make sure you are well-fed and afterwards I will show you to a bed where you can have a rest” Vasilissa says gently and I hesitantly look over at Blake who is standing very calmly next to his female. His smile is wide and arrogant and I would very much like to remove that smock smile from his bearded face. But I don’t have it in me to show any kind of disrespect towards this gentle female who has shown me nothing but kindness and warmth. It’s not her fault that her male is evil.

“Thank you” I mumble back at her while still looking at Blake. His eyes are on me and he is warning me. About what? Doesn’t his female know that I am kidnapped? How could she _not_ know? She clearly knows who I am given the fact that she just called me queen and she also just saw my tattoo with Christopher’s name on my wrist. Why else would I be here – alone and pregnant with my male’s uncle, or rather, his father? Vasilissa moves for the door she pointed at, but as I make a move to follow, Blake grabs my upper arm and holds me back.

“I am very aware of what you must feel towards me, Aryanne, the situation taken into consideration, but that is _my female_ and if you show her the slightest disrespect, your time here in my mansion will _not_ be pleasant. If you behave with dignity and respect, however, I promise you that you will be treated accordingly” Blake growls so low that only I can hear, while his dark eyes are locked on mine. I slowly nod. It’s not like I have a choice!

“Understood” I whisper back and feel the satisfaction radiate from Blake’s huge body. He smiles widely at me.

“Aryanne?” Vasilissa calls. I look down at Blake’s hand on my arm and then I look up into those dark eyes again as I challenge him to let me go. His eyes become darker but he slowly releases his grip on my arm. When I am free, I lower my eyes and follows Vasilissa into what turns out to be a kitchen.


	26. A queen of name only

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: violence, death.

After Vasilissa has prepared food for me and shown me to a bedroom upstairs, she leaves me to get some rest and I let my body fall backwards on the bed. I am still wearing the indigo blue dress from the gathering and I don’t have any interest in finding something else to wear. Why would it even matter? My hands instinctively reach down to cover my growing baby-bump and I am surprised by the violent force of the feelings rushing through my chest. I want to protect that little white spot more than anything I’ve ever wanted before. More than I want Chris. More than I want to live myself. Chris... Shit. Just the thoughts of him make my heart ache. All he wanted was to protect me and I wouldn’t let him. Blake is right; I _forced_ him to let me go.

A sudden knock on the door has me jerking in surprise. I don’t get a change to even get up from the bed before the door is opened and Blake steps in.

“ _Karalieva_ ” he greets me as he bows his head and I slowly arise from the bed.

“What now? There’s _weeks_ until your saviour is born so just leave me alone” I hiss at him, but Blake just replies to my spite with is slow smile.

“That’s not how this works, Aryanne. Your child is mine and since it’s still in your belly; you are mine too. So behave yourself” Blake states arrogantly and I slowly back away from the bed.

“Dignity and respect, Aryanne.”

Shit. I remember his words from earlier. I level my eyes and stare straight at Blake.

“What do you want me to do?” I ask slowly and I’m not deaf to the shaking sound of my own voice. Blake smiles widely.

“I just need you to be there. Don’t talk and don’t interrupt; don’t do anything. Just stand still and look pretty as you show off that lovely bump of yours. Can you manage that?” he asks provokingly and I kick my chin up.

“Yes” I spit back at him which earns me another wide smile. Blake holds out his hand for me and I look down at it with disgust, but it’s not like I have a choice here. I walk over to Blake but instead of putting my hand in his, I keep my hands down my side in spite. Blake’s face hardens with his dissatisfaction and he reaches out to grab my wrist. He doesn’t say anything as he drags me out of the room and down the hall. As we reach the end of the hall, I stop dead at the top of the stairs at the sight in the entree hall. The whole hall is packed with males. There must be at least 50 - if not more - males standing closely together and all their eyes are on _me_.

“My friends, this is the day we have been waiting for!” Blake shouts to them and a loud rumble of approval echoes amongst the males. Blake’s head turns towards me and I feel my heart beat faster in fear of what is going to happen next. Blake pulls my arm and I almost stumble forward, but Blake’s grip on my wrist stops me from falling down the stairs. “I give you; our _zachavac_!”

As Blake lets go of my hand a loud cheer erupts in the hallway and the sound of deep male voices rings in my ears. Goosebumps spread down my arms and not in a good way. This isn’t Chris’ gathering with people happy to see me; this is Blake’s males and they are only happy because I carry their myth in my womb – not because of _me_. In fact, half of them look at me with such hatred that I almost want to step back and beg Blake to protect me from them. The other half look at me with worship and adoration; those I don’t mind at all. But the hateful males looking up at me scare the shit out of me and I don’t even know why they hate me. Do they know who I am? Do they know that I am Chris’ female – is that why they hate me? Or because I’m a Hathaway? A tingling sensation of pride runs through my veins as the weight of my family name suddenly fills my heart. Yes, I am a Hathaway and I will not be frightened by a bunch of brutes. I kick my chin up and stare back at them as I repeat _‘dignity and respect’_ over and over in my head.

“You, my friends, have trusted me for many years and your loyalty will soon be rewarded. Everything that we have been through – every pain, every loss, ever day without our families and friends – everything will soon have been worth it, because now we have our _zachavac_ with us. Inside this young female-“

Blake reaches out a hand to cover my belly without actually touching me,

“- is our zachavac. And this child will be the saviour of us all. This child will save our race and we will help it realise its full potential. Together we will make sure that our ancestors’ prophecy is realised. Together we will save our race!”

A loud cheer sounds in the hall and the sound is so loud that my heart beats a little faster from the fear rushing through my veins. My eyes search the crowd for a way to get out of this situation, but I find none. I do however find a mane of red hair standing in the very edge of the crowd looking up at me too. Vasilissa. She’s here. Her eyes are large and expectant, but her lips are a small line of disapproval. Why? Isn’t she interested in saving her race with a stupid ancient myth? Doesn’t she approve of males kidnapping a female and holding her captive so they can steal her newborn as soon as she’s delivered it? Geez wonder why! A movement next to me forces my attention away from Vasilissa and I look over at Blake whose face is a hard mask of arrogance and triumph. Oh yeah, he is definitely Chris’ father. They look at me in the exact same way; like I’m the most important thing in the world. The difference is that where Chris’ eyes shine of love for _me_ , Blake’s eyes shine with indifference towards me personally. Because I couldn’t matter any less to him. I am nothing but a vessel to carry his precious saviour in until he can take it away from me.

Suddenly the whole hall is silent and I look down confused at the silence. The crowd of males slowly step aside to make a pathway between them for someone to walk through. And as I see who it is my body freezes in shock. Holy shit.

“Ahh my son, you made it” Blake smiles as he looks down at Dragan who is walking through the crowd and coming up the stairs. I pull back out of instinct because I have absolutely no idea what he is going to do, our last meeting taken into consideration. Is he angry? Hurt? Vengeful? And what happened to ‘none of my sons will ever touch you again’, huh, Blake? Dragan ascends the stairs and his eyes are dark as they look hard at me. I sink slowly but refuse to show him my fear. I feel Blake’s eyes on me too, but keep mine on Dragan as he reaches us on the top of the stairs. Dragan walk past me and embrace his father.

“ _Backa_ ” he greets Blake as the two males hug tightly.

“I’m happy you could be here to celebrate this historic day” Blake replies and then they both turn towards me. Shit.

“Son, will you be so kind as to escort Miss Hathaway to her room? She will not be part of the celebration.”

Dragan’s dark eyes fixate on me and a slow smile spreads on his lips. Shit. No.

“Blake, no...” I whisper terrified, but Blake just stares arrogantly at me.

“Go with him, Aryanne. He won’t hurt you” Blake says hard and clasp Dragan on the shoulder. Dragan nods to Blake and then Blake turns his attention towards the crowd of his males, leaving Dragan and me to our own company.

“Let’s go” Dragan mumbles hard as he grabs my wrist and starts to drag me down the hallway.

“No, let me go” I hiss scared and try to get my hand free, but it’s futile. Dragan is too strong. He drags me into the same bedroom as I rested in earlier and slams the door behind us as he throws me into the room. I quickly turn towards him and back away. No, no, no, this is just not happening. Alone in a bedroom with Dragan who wants me? Again! This is an ugly déjà-vu to the first time Dragan kidnapped and raped me. Dragan’s smile is wide and triumphant as his eyes look down my body.

“That’s a nice dress, even though the colour is horrible on you because it represents _him_ ” he growls hoarsely and I try to cover myself with my arms. Not that I can, but I still try.

“Stay away from me” I exhale and a small scream leaves my lips as I feel the cold wall behind me. Dragan is still coming closer.

“Don’t touch me. Blake promised you wouldn’t touch me. He told you not to.”

“Well, my father told me not to _hurt_ you and I’m not going to. As long as you obey me, that is” Dragan smiles and steps in even closer to me.

“Did my cousin not teach you how to obey?”

He’s so close that I can feel the warmth of his body on my skin. My body panics; I can’t stop it.

“D, please. Don’t do this” I whisper as Dragan reaches out for me. His hands close around my shoulders and he holds me tight against the wall. This is my nightmare coming true. This is exactly why I had Ian promise me that he would not let Dragan take me alive if he ever tried to take me back.

“Ozera-blue is a horrible colour for you, girl. But don’t worry, I will make sure that you are-“

Dragan stops in the middle of a sentence as his eyes fall down to my hand. What is he looking at? He grabs my hand hard and forces my arm up. Shit! The tattoo!

“What the fuck is this?” he growls angry as his eyes are fixated on Chris’ name under the clear bandage on my wrist. He isn’t just angry; he’s furious. I’m too scared to reply.

“He fucking _branded_ you?” Dragan spits at me and I quickly shake my head as I open my mouth; the idiot that I am.

“No, I wanted it, it was my-” I whimper scared, but oh, I should have just kept my mouth shut. Dragan explodes with fury.

“So it’s not enough that you _reek_ of his bonding underneath that fucking colour that represents everything about _him_ ; you also have his name on your skin!” Dragan yells into my face as his grip on my wrist tightens and he lashes out with his free hand. I feel the impact from his hand hit the side of my cheek and my head it forced to the side as I exclaim a painful cry. I would probably have fallen to the ground from the blow if it had not been for Dragan’s hand still holding my wrist which keeps me upright. His free hand reaches out and he grabs my neck. He pushes my head back into the wall and squeezes my throat tightly. He puts his face closer to mine and I can feel his warm breath on my cheeks as I gasp for air.

“I don’t care what my father thinks you are or what my cousin is calling you. You have been mine from the second I took you and _I_ will decide what happens to you” Dragan growls into my cheek as he squeezes harder. I desperately grab his arm to try to pry him off me, but I can’t even bulge him a bit.

“D...” I gasp, but he ignores me completely.

“If you are to wear Ozera-blue it will be to represent _me_. You will not be wearing any other colour than the one I put you in. And if I can’t have you for myself no one is allowed to have you. I will make sure of that.”

With that Dragan starts to squeeze even harder and the lack of air becomes a reality. My eyes become wet and I gasp for air, but Dragan’s hand is not allowing any. This is it. This is the end. I close my eyes and accept that at least Dragan will never touch me again and no one will lay a hand on my baby. My last thought is of Chris and I see his face as if we were still in the little wooden cabin; his eyes shining with love and lust, and his lips crooked in a smile. Yeah, this is the last image I’ll ever see and I am okay with that. I even think I hear Chris shout my name in the distance, but all I can focus on is my fantasy-Chris and his lovely steel grey eyes looking at me. I feel my body become heavier as my head starts to throb and I let go of Dragan’s arm. I accept what is about to happen and let go of my life as I feel myself slip away from the reality and into the darkness. I am ready.

Suddenly the grip around my neck is gone and I fall to my knees as I gasp for air. The world comes rushing down on me and the confusion is all-consuming as my instincts for survival kick in. My eyes are blurry but I manage to focus long enough for me to see what has happened: Blake has entered the room and pulled Dragan off me. Blake has stopped Dragan from... killing me. Shit. He was actually killing me. And I was okay with it. Shit. I remember how relieved I was that if Dragan killed me, he would not be able to touch me again. And I remember preferring being dead to being Dragan’s slave again. But Blake stopped him. Shit! What do I do? I desperately look around and my eyes focus on the huge window right next to where Dragan held me against the wall. Can it open? I get up on wobbly feet and my hands are shaking so badly that it takes me several tries to even get a hold on the lock. Yes! It opens! I throw open the window and the icy cold November air rushes in, but I welcome it. Because soon I will be surrounded by it and if the fall doesn’t kill me, I hope I am able to run the fuck away from here. But we’re probably two stories up and with the trees so close to the mansion, the possibility for death is absolutely the most realistic outcome of me jumping out the window. I don’t even glance back as I climb up to the window frame and push the window even more open. Shit. Yes, two stories down. This is probably going to hurt. I let go of the frame as I let my body fall forward.

“SHIT, ARYANNE, NO!” someone screams behind me, but I ignore it as I feel my body become heavy.

“NO!” I scream when a set of huge arms wrap around my waist and pull me back from the window. The position is a painful flashback to that day in the forest where Dragan stopped me from running to Chris as he was threatening my professor. Too many flashbacks, too many painful memories.

“Don’t even think about it, Aryanne” Blake growls angry into my ear as he almost throws me away from the window and down to the floor. He grabs the window and shuts it immediately. My eyes fill with tears and I cry out in pain over having cheated Death twice in a matter of seconds. Blake is standing in front of the window and he is more furious than I have ever seen him. He always seems so calm, but right now, he is a dangerous male and I probably should be more afraid than I am.

“Why did you do that?!” I scream at him with tears streaming down my cheeks, “You should have let him kill me!”

Blake shakes his head.

“I have dedicated my life to that baby in your womb and I will not let you stop me from realising my life’s quest” Blake spits hard and his eyes search for something behind me. I turn my head to see Dragan lying on the floor behind me with blood all over his face and he gasps for air. I turn my head towards Blake again.

“So you would hurt your own son for some crazy prophecy?” I ask. Blake stares hard at me.

“No, Aryanne. I will kill my own son for this prophecy” Blake replies and I see him pull out a gun from his waistband. I find the strength to stand quickly and even though my head is throbbing and my legs are shaking, I position myself between Dragan and Blake.

“No, you can’t kill him, I won’t let you” I say hard and straighten my back. Blake snorts arrogantly at me.

“I don’t take orders from you, Aryanne. You are not a queen here. I call you karalieva out of respect for the monarchy that my son is the king of because he has chosen you to be his queen. But make no mistake; in this house, _I_ am the king and you are my prisoner. And I will have no one disobeying my rule” Blake says and he steps forward as he grabs my shoulder and shoves me aside. I fall to the floor and don’t see Blake point the gun at Dragan, but I hear the horrible and deafening sound of a gunshot being fired very close so my ear.

“No!” I scream in defeat and I turn my head to see a huge blood stain in Dragan’s chest. I crawl across the floor and put my hands up to cover the hole in Dragan’s chest.

“No, no, no” I whisper crying, but there is nothing I can do. The bullet has pierced Dragan's chest and I am neither a surgeon nor a magician so I can’t stop the bleeding or close the bullet wound. I can’t save him. I don’t even know _why_ I want to save him, but watching another person die right in front of me – _because_ of me – is breaking my heart.

“Why?” I whisper as I look up at Blake. His face is a hard mask or arrogance and power.

“I told you; you are not a queen here so you do not have any say in anything. This is _my_ kingdom.”

I lower my eyes as the tears fall quickly down on Dragan’s lifeless chest. I feel someone step in closer and look up to see Blake standing right in front of me. He looks down at me with arrogance.

“And if you ever try to run away or hurt yourself again, I will gag you and tie you to the fucking bed and you will not be able to move or speak at all for the rest of your time here. If that is what you want, then by all means; try again” Blake snorts at me and I look up at him with as much hatred as I possibly can, even though my eyes are full of tears. Blake’s dark eyes are hard as he stares down at me. He is challenging me to surrender myself and accept my fate as his prisoner. But how can I? How can I let go of everything that I am, everything that I have had? I close my eyes in submission. I don’t have a choice. If I want any resemblance of a life for what little of it I have left, I will have to do as Blake says. He owns me. I bow my head as more tears stream down my face.

“I need your word” I whisper hoarsely and slowly lift my eyes to Blake.

“My word of what?”

“Your word that you will protect me from anyone who will touch me in any way” I demand hard, but the hollowness is easy to hear. Blake stares hard at me as if trying to read my face or maybe he’s just thinking about my request.

“I thought me killing my blooded son to protect you would be evidence enough. But fine, if that is what you need to obey me” Blake says seriously and he crosses his arms over his chest.

“Aryanne Hathaway, I will give you my word of protection if you give me _your_ word that you will not try to escape or do anything that can harm yourself or the baby. My protection for your own protection” Blake replies seriously. I close my eyes as I slowly nod my acceptance.

“Good. Now that you are done defying me, I will make sure you are treated as a female of worth. You will be allowed to move around my mansion, but not outside of it unless there is a guard with you and it’s only on my grounds. You will be provided with everything a pregnant female will need and I will treat you with the respect of a daughter. But make no mistakes, Aryanne. My mercy and kindness has it limits, so do not cross me again.”

I hear the sound of light footsteps and someone is closing in on me, as the warmth of another body sinks down next to me. But I don’t look up. Why should I? It doesn’t matter who it is.

“Come, my sweet girl, you do not have to see this anymore” Vasilissa mumbles to me as her soft arms wrap around me. She helps me to my feet and I bury my face in her neck as I sob silently in her arms. She might be the female of my enemy, but right now I don’t have anyone else and this female is the only one showing me any sort of kindness. And I take it. I take every bit of kindness I can get because my world will not continue if I give in to the darkness and the indifference I have been reduced to. I take it because her kindness is genuine whereas Blake’s kindness is not. He isn’t being kind to me; he’s being kind to the vessel of his saviour.


	27. The birth of a saviour

4 weeks later.

“Shit!” I exclaim as one of my feet slides in the snow and I feel my legs disappear from underneath me. The air behind me is cold and dry, and I instinctively cover my huge belly with my hands to protect it from the fall. My back hits something hard but I sink down into the huge pile of snow anyway.

“Arya!” Vasilissa calls and I feel her warm hands grab on to mine, as she tries to pull me up from the snow. She too slides in the snow and together we fall down into the same pile as I lay in just seconds ago. Laughter burst out from both of us as we surrender to the captivity of the snow.

“Are you okay?” Vasilissa laughs in between her trying to catch her breath and I nod towards her shoulder, while I continue my own laughter.

“What are you doing?”

The voice is curious, but the tone is serious and we both stop laughing at the sound of it. I look past Vasilissa’s shoulder to see Blake standing a few feet from us with his hands on his hips in a waiting position. Vasilissa clears her throat and she lets Blake lift her up from the snow. Then he reaches down to me and grabs both my wrists so he can pull me up without the slightest effort. I brush the snow off my jacket and pants.

“Are you unharmed, Aryanne?” Blake asks concerned and his eyes fall to my huge belly hidden behind the thick winter coat. He’s not worried about me, the vessel; he’s worried about his precious saviour. Blake insists on calling me Aryanne, despite being the only one in the whole mansion to do so. Everyone else, including Vasilissa, has taken to calling me Arya as I have asked them to. I have told Blake not to call me karalieva anymore, even if he does so out of respect to Chris, because I am not a queen anymore. I was queen for a very brief moment when I was with Chris, the king of the race. But I’m not anymore. A stab of pain pierces my heart.

“Aryanne?”

Blake’s voice is worried and I focus on his dark eyes. What? Oh right. Am I unharmed? I nod slowly. Relief shows in those dark eyes as he turns to pull Vasilissa into his arms. Her fair skin takes on a very cute pink colour that makes those orange freckles seem less prominent as Blake lowers his head to hers. Damn, that pink colour looks good on her. Or maybe it’s just Blake who looks good on her.

“Inside, now” Blake growls and the undertone is not to be mistaken; he wants sex. Vasilissa blushes even more, but then she looks over at me. She smiles kindly.

“Later, Blake. I have promised Arya to take her out for a walk in the snow” Vasilissa mumbles. Blake growls displeased but loosen his grip on her anyway.

“I am not comfortable with the two of you taking a walk in the snow alone. Something could happen to you” Blake mumbles into Vasilissa’s red hair.

“You’re in charge of security, so you should know, that our ground is perfectly safe” she replies with a smile, but Blake isn’t convinced.

“What if Aryanne falls again? Who will help her up?” Blake asks seriously. I look at him with a little insult in my stare. I’m not _that_ big. I can get up myself; it’s just not an elegant sight to see. Vasilissa laughs.

“If Arya falls into the snow again, I promise to either leave her there while I run back to get help or roll her back to the mansion” she laughs and I cannot stop myself from laughing with her. Even Blake smiles a bit. Oh, so he _does_ have a sense of humour. Who would have thought?

“Besides, I’m sure one of your henchmen are lurking around here somewhere. We are perfectly safe.”

She’s right. We’ve never been left alone without at least one of Blake’s males bodyguarding – or maybe it’s babysitting – us. Blake lets go of Vasilissa and gives her one more kiss on the forehead, before he turns towards me and nods his head in a respectful gesture. I nod back.

For the last four weeks Blake and I have gained a sense of... understanding, for each other. Oh don’t get me wrong; he is still my kidnapper and he is still a powerful male who wants my baby as soon as it’s born. But Blake has kept his word as I have kept mine; I have not tried to run away or hurt myself, therefore I have been treated well. Very well, actually. I am still robbed of my freedom and cannot leave the mansion without someone to escort me, true, but other than that, I am being respected and cared for. No one has made as much as a sexual comment to me or flirted with me or tried anything with me and I’m pretty sure that’s because Blake has ordered it so. Blake himself is head-over-heels with Vasilissa despite them having been together for the last 17 years, but he is not the only male in the house. Besides the three staff members working 24/7, there is always a standard set of at least 15 armed and very dangerous males lurking in or around the mansion. And none of them have shown me any kind of sexual interest. Sure, most of them don’t like me as they recent my very presence here, but they don’t do anything about it. Vasilissa don’t seem to mind but I suspect she’s used to them being around all the time. Because Blake takes his prophecy very seriously with the protection and the care. He even hired a private midwife from the Others who visits three times a week to scan my belly and make sure I’m doing good. Vasilissa is always there with me and she is my only hope in this life I have been forced into. She is the most wonderful female I have ever met; kind, strong, mild, genuine and motherly. I have become quite close to her and I am beginning to see as a sort of replacement-mum and I am very sure that she feels the same for me; as a daughter that is. In the beginning I often wondered what an amazing female like Vasilissa would be doing with a brute like Blake, but it quickly became obvious that he adores her. He absolutely worships her and she him. He is so kind to her, so respectful and protective in his behaviour towards her, that I am constantly reminded of Chris. Oh... _Chris_. No, I can’t start thinking about him now. If I do, I’ll never stop crying. I miss him so much. I wasn’t even aware that it was possible to miss something or someone so much that the mere thought of them made your heart break all over. My body is like an addict on rehab – it craves Chris and his touch, screams for his strength around me and his hardness buried deep inside me. I don’t know if this is a pregnancy thing or just a Chris-thing, but I am craving him so much that I can barely think straight anymore. The more pregnant I become, the worse my craving for Chris becomes.

“Let’s go, Arya” Vasilissa laughs and I am pulled out of my dark craving. I shake my head to shake away the thoughts of Chris and turn my head towards Vasilissa with a weak smile. She’s just grabbed my hand, when the sound of a car approaching has all of us turning our heads towards the forest. Vasilissa and Blake exchange a look – his is careful, hers is surprised.

“Are you expecting company?” she asks calmly, but Blake shakes his head. Vasilissa positions herself in front of me as if to protect me and Blake position himself in front of her. So no matter whom it is coming through the hidden forest path there is two layers of protection in front of me – or two layers of obstacle, depending on how you look at it. The car is quite close now as I can hear the engine approaching slowly and I peak around Vasilissa to see a small lime green car enter the clearing. Blake’s attitude softens immediately and Vasilissa reaches for my hand while she turns towards me with a smile.

“Don’t worry, Arya, this is not an enemy” she smiles and nods towards the small car that’s parked in front of the mansion. A tall, dark haired beauty steps out of the car. Her hair is black as raven feather and its cut in a short pixy cut. Her skin is fair, almost white and her facial features are beautiful. Lean body, long legs... And now she smiles. Shit. Yeah, that’s a real beauty. And she’s definitely a female.

“ _Maci_ ” she smiles widely as she comes closer. Vasilissa lets go of my hands to take the female into her arms.

“ _Maya aniol_ ” she whispers into the black hair. The female opens her eyes and looks astonished at me.

“Karalieva?” she asks surprised looking down at my huge belly, but she’s cut off from saying more by Blake grabbing my arm and pulling me behind him.

“Kalya” he growls with a short nod, but Kalya is busier looking at me than saying hello to Blake. She levels her eyes at Blake and her stare is judgemental.

“Seriously, Ozera? I didn’t believe it Vladimir when he told me... but he _was_ telling the truth. You _did_ kidnap Christopher’s queen!” she exclaims in a blaming and angry tone. Chris’ name is like a knife in my heart.

“Kalya, it’s not quite as you think it is-“ Vasilissa starts as she reaches for her, but Kalya pulls away from the hand. She stares hurtful at Vasilissa.

“You knew?” Kalya whispers weakly and looks at Blake.

“You pulled my mum into your madness?” she spits blazingly and I gasp surprised. _Mum_? Kalya is Vasilissa’s daughter? Then Blake must be her dad? Or her stepdad, actually. Because she looks like she’s older than 17.

“Did you tell her everything, huh? Did you tell her how you kidnapped her son and his female from a hospital because you needed to use them as leverage against Christopher so you could take away his queen? Did you tell her how you had him beaten? Her precious son?”

Vasilissa gasps surprised and turns towards Blake. Her eyes are shiny and her hand covers her mouth as she shakes her head in denial. Blake keeps his hard stare on Kalya.

“He resisted. If he had just gone along like he was told, no one would have touched him” Blake replies arrogantly. Vasilissa steps back in horror and outrage.

“No, Blake...” she whispers in denial and finally Blake turns his eyes towards his female. His stare softens immediately as he looks at her and he lets me go to reach for her instead. She lets him take her hands, but the look in her eyes is still horrified.

“It’s not what you think, abranyaa” he whispers. My eyes catch Kalya’s because she is staring at me and for a brief second déjà-vu flies through me. Those black eyes... They remind me of Vladimir. Is she Vladimir’s sister? But that would make Vasilissa... Vladimir’s mother. Holy crap. No wonder she’s horrified with Blake having her son beaten.

“You said no one was hurt. You promised me that no one would be hurt in your attempt to realise that damn prophecy. You promised me that you didn’t force Arya to come with you. You lied to me...” Vasilissa whispers hurtful and my heart bleeds for her. I feel my own eyes get wet. She looks at me with regret and sorrow in her beautiful eyes.

“Arya” she whispers and blinks away a few tears, “all this time... I didn’t know. I thought you were here because you wanted protection for your child. I... I didn’t know.”

I shut my eyes hard. Vasilissa reaches for me, but Blake grabs her hand before she touches me. He positions himself between me and his female in a protective crouch... in front of _me_. He is protecting me against Vasilissa and Kalya. Or keeping me away from them is probably more right.

“I didn’t force Arya to come with me. That was not a lie, _Vasya_. She went with me, but of course, there was some persuasion involved. But you have no idea what’s at stake” Blake mumbles as he reaches behind himself to grab my wrist. He pulls me in front of him and closes his huge arms around me. A second later a gun is pointed at my neck and all three of us gasp at the same time; Kalya, Vasilissa and myself.

“I am so close... So close. Aryanne can give birth at any minute. Her child, our zachavac... it cannot grow up in the wrong hands. It _needs_ to be protected. It _has_ to grow up to save our race. It _has_ to save us all” Blake growls and tightens his arms around me so hard, that I gasp for air and grab his arm across my chest to get is to loosen its hold a bit. Impossible. Blake is far superior to me in every way, especially physically so I doubt he even notices my weak attempt. A sharp pain shoots through my stomach and I scream in agony.

“Aryanne?” Blake mumbles into my hair, but I can’t reply. I am sucked into my old nightmare where Blake has me as my water breaks and Chris won’t save me. Shit. This is one realisation I could have done without. Another sharp pain – another scream.

“Blake...” I moan when the pain takes over my body and I become limb in his arms.

“Shit, Aryanne. It’s time.”

Blake’s voice is pure horror. His eyes desperately search for Vasilissa and Kalya.

“The baby... it’s coming” he mumbles, panicking. Then he removes the gun from my neck and lifts my up into his strong arms while I writher in pain. Seriously! Is it supposed to be THIS painful?!

“ _Chris_...” I whisper desperately, as I in my private Hell of pain see his face in the man who carries me through the huge mansion. I reach up to his face, but frown when I feel the soft beard on his cheeks and across his chin and upper lip. When did he get a beard? The pain lessens a bit and a ray of reason settles in my thoughts. Wait, something is wrong. Those eyes... they’re too dark. It’s not Chris.

“Blake” I snap and those dark eyes focus on me as he carries me to the upper floor and into my room.

“Stay strong, Aryanne, the midwife is coming” Blake mumbles to me just as another pain shoots through me. Okay, so I may not have experienced contractions or given birth before, but this can’t be right. It can’t be right that is should hurt _this_ much. Something must be wrong.

“My baby...” I whisper desperately as Blake puts me down on my bed and takes off my jacket. I roll onto the side and pull my legs up under me while I scream in pain.

“Blake.”

Vasilissa’s voice is gentle and desperate at the same time.

“She’s in pain.”

“She’s having a baby, dammit, she’s supposed to be in pain” Blake replies in panic, as he looks desperately down at me. I see the red mane shake vibrantly.

“Not like this. Blake, she’s a bonded thoroughbred female. Without her bonded male, the birth will probably kill her. You have to get her to Christopher. Or him to her. And you have to do it now” Vasilissa replies seriously. Blake shakes his head.

“Then she must die. As long as the child survives” he replies hard. Vasilissa takes a step back in horror as if someone has slapped her across the face.

“Are you so blinded by this prophecy that you can’t think clearly anymore? If Arya dies giving birth, the chance of the child surviving is almost non-existent. You know this. You _should_ know this” Vasilissa says calmly, but firmly.

“You knew this day would come. You knew she would be in danger. Blake, she needs her male.”

Blake looks desperately from her down to me and then back at Vasilissa again.

“Dammit! Give me my phone.”

I have no words to describe the pain. It is as if someone has tied my body to a bonfire and lit it while they are beating me with an aluminium baseball bat and shooting arrows into my belly and back. I slide in and out of consciousness, and every time the darkness claims me I am grateful. The midwife arrives quickly, but her presence is indifferent. Completely indifferent. Vasilissa and Kalya are still here too and both stay at my side. Blake is at the door to my room with his arms crossed over his chest like a bodyguard. The look on his face is hard, but desperate and those dark eyes are haunted. At some point there is a commotion in the room, but I am too lost in my personal Hell of Pain to be fully aware of what’s going on around me. I hear someone shout something, but the sound seems muted as if someone is covering my ears with a pillow. That’s when I feel it; a wave of soft, cool water brushing over my arm. And then my cheeks. And my hair. Thank you Mother Nature for this reprieve.

“ _Arya_.”

The voice is close to my ear and it’s the sound of an angel; so familiar, so warm and so full of love that my eyes water at the sound of it. The reprieve brushes across my skin and I instinctively sway towards it. The pain in my body lessens a bit, but enough for me to pull out of my Hell of Pain and focus on the room around me. Vasilissa and Kalya are still by my bedside; their presence and support is so much more comfortable than that of the midwife’s. Blake is still in front of the door in his hard posture, but his body seems larger and he has an aura of fury around him. A fury that’s directed at _me_. Why is he mad at me?

“Blake?” I whisper confused. His upper lip pulls up at if he’s sneering a reply. What? What did I do? I’m giving birth to his fucking saviour, for fuck sake! I’m doing exactly what he wants me to do!

“ _Arya_.”

It’s the angel voice again. I turn my head and open my mouth, but no words escape my lips. How...? Chris is standing right next to me, just as tall and blonde as always. Those steel grey eyes shine with his love for me, as well as need and fear. Fear for me? His lips crouch up in a smile as he sees me recognise him. Wait, what’s that?

“You’ve gotten a beard” I whisper surprised and a picture of earlier flashes through my mind; Blake’s beard as he carried me through the mansion. I thought he was Chris. He wasn’t. This is. Chris smiles widely to me.

“You’re giving birth” he mumbles back just as another contraction pulls my belly tight in pain. I scream in agony, but the pain is not as bad as earlier.

“Our daughter” I whisper to Chris and a collective gasp sounds in the room. Yeah, I kept that information to myself; saving it for this very moment even though I didn’t know it myself.

“Daughter?” Chris whispers to me and I nod to confirm.

“The zachavac is a female...” Blake mumbles from his position at the door. Chris throws an angry stare at him while he hisses aggressively.

“You stay the fuck away” Chris growls at Blake, whose aura darkens, but he nods in agreement.

“That was the agreement” Blake replies arrogantly, “and I am a male of my word.”

What agreement?!

“Don’t think about it, Arya, just focus on bringing our daughter into this world” Chris mumbles to me and I am about to nod as another contraction takes me in.

Shit. Giving birth is _not_ fun. I don’t think anyone has ever said it would be, but the reality is worse than the imagination. Having my newborn daughter on my chest, feeling her warm body and her fast breathing and seeing her beautiful face is worth _all_ the pain in the world and more. I would do it again. And again. For her. For us. Chris shines with pride and fatherhood and love. His reaches for our daughter and carefully takes her up into his huge arms. She looks so fragile in this huge male’s arms, but he is so careful with her that my heart breaks by looking at them. I didn’t know it was possible for me to love him even more, but here we are and I do.

“ _Annabelle_ ” I whisper. Chris looks down at me and smiles warmly. Shit, he is perfection.

“Annabelle” he whispers down to our daughter and she sighs a little bit as if pleased with her name. The midwife reaches for her and Chris carefully gives her over. His eyes follow every movement she makes like a hawk watching his prey, but she only wants to measure and weight Annabelle before wrapping her in a baby pink blanket.

“Give me my daughter” I whisper hoarsely. I am completely exhausted after the last – how many? – hours of effort. The midwife hands me my perfect newborn daughter. The baby opens her eyes. Shit. They are so beautiful. The perfect mix of grey and green, almost luminous. I look up at Chris, he’s seen them too. It’s the perfect mix of his grey and my green.

“Anna” I whisper, while I breathe in the most perfect baby scent ever. Does every newborn smell this amazing?

Suddenly the bedroom door opens and a small army of males enter my bedroom. Shit! Chris positions himself protectively in front of us, but there has to be at least 15 if not 20 armed males in my little bedroom now. Blake steps forward. His hard attitude makes fear pound through my blood and he reaches for me.

“Give me the baby, Aryanne” he grows. I hug Annabelle tightly to my chest.

“No...” I whisper horrified. Blake smiles tightly. He reaches for me again.

“I promise to protect her, Aryanne. As if she is my own” Blake says and Chris hisses next to me. Four large males reach for him and a second later they have him pinned down with his chest against the floor, but it takes all four of them to hold him down as he struggles to get free.

“Blake!” he shouts angry while his bonding emerges from his large body to wrap itself around me and Annabelle. Blake looks down at Chris is disgust.

“We had an agreement, my son. The baby for Aryanne when both survived. That was the agreement we made when you were given permission to come and save them both” Blake says and my heart skips a beat. An agreement between Blake and Chris about me and Annabelle?

“FUCK!” Chris shouts angry, but he is overpowered. Blake comes nearer. I hug Annabelle to my chest while I desperately look around me for a way out. Kalya is petrified watching the situation unfold in front of her. Vasilissa looks like she desperately wants to interfere, but doesn’t know if it’s her place to do so. Or which side to be on.

“Aryanne.”

Blake’s voice is serious but gentle. His steps are slow as he keeps his eyes on me; like a hunter approaching its prey.

“I promise to protect her. She will be the most precious one in my life; you have my word on this.”

I look over at Vasilissa who has approached the bed too.

“Arya” she says as she draws my attention towards herself. She nods towards Annabelle.

“You don’t have a choice here. Blake will take Annabelle no matter what; you know this as well as I do. But let me take her from you. Trust _me_. Trust that I will love her and protect her as if she was my own daughter. I will never allow Blake or anyone else to break as much as a strain of hair on her head. I promise you this. Trust _me_ ” Vasilissa says gently and everything inside me falls apart. How can I give my daughter away? The most precious person in my life? I have had her for only a few seconds and she is already more important to me than anyone else. More important than my own life. More important than Chris.

“I can’t...” I whisper horrified. Blake nods once. And then I am held down by two of his males as Vasilissa steps forward and reaches in over Blake to take Annabelle from me.

“NO! YOU CANNOT TAKE HER!” I scream desperately, but to no use. I am powerless. I cannot move my arms to hold on to my daughter as they are being pinned down by the two males of Blake’s. Vasilissa sends me a look of apology as she hugs my daughter close to her chest. Blake reaches for them and pulls Vasilissa into his hard arms. He looks down at her in astonishment and wonder and I see his eyes turn decisive and full of pride.

“Sweet Annabelle, you are going to save us all” he mumbles and Mother-Nature-help-me, my daughter opens her beautiful grey-green eyes and stares up at her kidnapper. They turn towards the door.

“No WAIT!” I call desperately, and both Blake and Vasilissa turn towards me. I fight against the strong holds on my arms, but cannot move at all until Blake nods and one of the males loosen his grip. I grab my bracelet with the little gold chain and hold it out to Blake.

“Promise me you will give her this. It is the only thing I can give her” I whisper desperately. Blake nods once and takes the bracelet from me.

“She will never need love or protection, Aryanne, that I promise you too” Blake says. My eyes fill with tears. I have absolutely no choice but to trust Blake and his assurance in regards to my daughter’s safety. I am powerless. Chris is powerless. I can’t save my daughter. Chris can’t save her. I nod towards Blake and he nods back once. Then he looks down at Chris who is still being pinned down towards the floor.

“One day you will understand, my son. One day you all will” Blake mumbles. He puts his arm around Vasilissa and they disappear from the bedroom with my life in their arms.


	28. Home: part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

Several hours has passed when Blake’s males finally let Chris up from the floor. Chris pushes them off him and grabs for me, while the males leave the room without any words. I was released from my captivity as soon as Blake was out the door. Apparently _I_ wasn’t deemed a threat. The midwife left soon after I had delivered the placenta and that was it. The birth of a saviour was done.

“Arya” Chris whispers broken. His huge arms pull me up and into them. And despite the horrible sorrow in my heart, the feeling of being is Chris’ arms is like coming home. I am home. This is the safest place in the world; Chris’ arms.

“Chris” I whisper back as my voice breaks. Tears fill my eyes and I cannot stop them.

“I know” Chris mumbles to me and I feel the warm wetness of his tears fall into my hair. Shit. My dangerous male is crying. It’s terrifying.

“I’m sorry, Arya” Chris suddenly whispers and I sniffle in surprise.

“Sorry? For what?” I reply insecure and lift my head from his hard chest to look into his eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t protect you. I’m sorry I let Blake take you from me. I’m sorry I haven’t found you in the last four weeks. I’m sorry I couldn’t save our daughter form that monster. I’m just so sorry...”

Chris’ voice breaks. So does my heart. No, no, no...

“It’s not your fault” I whisper back, but Chris shakes his head.

“You were the most important person in my life, Arya, and I couldn’t even protect you. The most important purpose of my life was protecting you and I failed” Chris mumbles. I reach up with both hands to grab his face so I can force his head down to me to look him in the eyes.

“It is _not_ your fault, _dahari_. You did everything you could, but we were outnumbered. Blake was... stronger. Better prepared. We didn’t know what was going to happen” I reply seriously and something flashes in those steel grey eyes.

“ _You_ knew, Arya. Your dream... the one you told me about. I haven’t thought of anything else for the last four weeks than _you_ actually predicted it. I should have found you sooner. Everyone has been looking for you, Ian almost as assiduously as me” Chris mumbles. My heart aches. Ian. _My brother_.

“Ian” I whisper and feel another wave of tears begins. Chris captures my face in his huge hands.

“Let’s get you into a shower” he growls and I nod with wet eyes.

“Shower” I repeat. Chris puts his arms around me and helps me to stand. Considering that I have spend the last 20 hours or so in a Hell of Pain, you would think that I would be sorer than I am. Yeah, my muscles are sore and tired, but I haven’t slept in 24 hours either so that part kinda gives itself away. But still. I feel kinda okay. Physically, that is. Is that normal?

“I thought I would be in more pain than this” I mumble against Chris’ arm while he helps me undress. He nods to confirm.

“Our females heal fast after a birth. It’s the evolutionary way of ensuring that mother and child would survive if there was danger nearby.”

Huh. That sounds smart.

“Bath” I mumble and nod towards the tub in the bathroom. Chris helps me into it and makes sure the water is burning hot while he fills the tub for me. The hot water is like sinking into a little piece of heaven.

“It was... hell. A hell of pain. I have no words for the agony I was in. But when you came, when you touched me, I had a reprieve. Like your presence was somehow lessening my pain. How...?” I whisper and Chris’ eyes shine at me.

“Because of our bonding” he replies seriously and as a reaction the dark aroma emerges from his skin.

“When a pregnant female is bonded to her male and she has accepted his bonding completely – and you have – it is painful for them both to be apart. Physically painful for them both. Because a male is supposed to protect his female and when she’s giving birth she needs him there to protect them both. ”

I smile quietly to myself. It makes _so_ much sense. But then my smile fades.

“You made an agreement with Blake” I whisper quietly as I feel my eyes become wet with tears. Chris sighs heavily and grabs for my hand.

“I had to. It was the only way... the only way to save you. I couldn’t save you both so I had to choose. And I chose you.”

How can I hate him for that? The truth is; I can’t. I might be willing to give my life for my daughter, but she’s grown inside me for a month so how could I not feel this way? But Chris had no connection to her whatsoever, so how can I blame him for wanting to save his female over some baby he’s never met? Chris helps me up from the tub and dries me before he finds an empty guestroom and puts me into the bed.

“Sleep, _maya abranyaa_ ” Chris whispers into my hair and I let him pull my naked body into his huge protective arms before I surrender to the darkness of sleep.

*

I sleep for the rest of the day, the whole night and almost the entire next day too. I sleep for what feels like forever and even though I am half awake several times, the exhaustion is too much for me to stay awake from and I fall sleep again. Chris is by my side every time I wake up and his presence is my soothing balm.

*

It’s dark outside when I finally stretch my sore body and open my eyes completely. Chris smiles to me.

“Arya” he whispers relieved, “I didn’t expect you to sleep for 36 hours.”

He smiles widely at me. I smile back, but exclaim a moan in surprise.

“36 hours?!” I reply in surprise, Chris nods.

“Are you ready to go home? The mansion is completely empty and I doubt Blake will return to it, but I want you home to _our_ mansion. I want you home.”

I nod to confirm. Then I let Chris dress me before he leads me out into the huge Land Rover. I fall asleep as soon as the car sets in motion.

*

We’ve been on the road for many hours, but it’s still dark outside and the snow is falling gently all around the black Land Rover, as it rushes through the landscape. I yawn loudly and Chris turns his head towards me.

“You’re awake” he mumbles and I smile as I nod.

“Where are we?” I ask. Chris looks at the road ahead again.

“Near Carlisle” Chris replies without looking at me. Carlisle...? We’re still a few hours from Manchester then. Chris lowers the speed and turns off the main road. His insecurity hangs in the air around us and I am suddenly afraid of what’s going to happen now even though fear is the last thing I should feel around Chris. Maybe he doesn’t want me? I mean... he said I _was_ the most important person in his life, not that I _am_. And he did let me go. And he didn’t find me for four weeks. Yeah, he said he looked for me but... maybe he didn’t _want_ to find me. Maybe he’s found another female...? The thought terrifies me more than anything else. I just lost Annabelle. If I lose Chris too...

“Chris?” I ask insecure, but Chris keeps his eyes on the road while he manoeuvres the car down the twisted gravel road into a forest area. What are we doing here? Chris continues to ignore me and my fear is intensified. He really doesn’t want me anymore. I’m sure of it. He’s found another female because I left him and as I don’t have his child in my belly anymore, he doesn’t need me for anything. Just like Blake. So where is he taking me because this is not home? The trees suddenly end and Chris drives into a huge parking lot in front of a smaller castle. ‘Warwich Hall Hotel’ is written on the sign in front of the castle. A hotel?

“Chris?” I ask again, but Chris barely spares me a glance as he opens his own door and gets out of the car. A second later my door opens and Chris reaches in a hand for me to take so he can help me out. I mostly want to cry my heart out, but I stay strong. I let Chris lead us into the dark castle and up the stairs. He pulls out a key from his pocket and opens a huge double door at the end of the hallway.

“You have a key?” I mumble surprised. Chris opens the door completely and I step into the huge, dark room. I hear the doors close behind me but don’t turn around. The insecurity is emerging from Chris’ huge body and I feel the tears take me over. This is it, isn’t it? He’s going to let me go now and say goodbye. I have lost my daughter and now I will lose my male. Chris grabs my hand and pulls me down on a futon that’s placed at the end of a huge, luxurious king size bed. He lights a little lamp on the night stand and in the glow of the soft light, I can see his face. I expected his eyes to be hard and serious, but his eyes are full of sorrow and... shit. Terror. Chris is scared.

“Chris?” I whisper and my voice breaks. Chris falls to his knees in front of me and grabs for both my hands. He hugs them hard in his own. His steel grey eyes are dark and shiny.

“ _Please_ tell me that no one forced themselves on you?” Chris whispers urgently. His words slowly settle in my head and for a brief second I am confused. What? He’s not saying goodbye? He asking me if someone forced themselves on me? Force? What kind of...Oh! I suddenly understand what he’s asking. _Force_.

“Forced as in...?” I start, but Chris continues as if I haven’t said anything.

“I just can’t bear the thought of another male having had the opportunity to touch you. I know Blake is bonded to V’s mum, but you weren’t the only ones in the mansion. The mansion was packed with males. Blake’s warriors. Thoroughbred males with strong urges and no conscious. And even a bonded male can be with other females. I’ve seen it before. So that doesn’t mean that Blake –“

“NO!” I exclaim loudly to stop Chris’ confused desperation. I wrist my hands free of his and grab around his face.

“ _No one_ has forced themselves on me in any way – nor has anyone touched me voluntarily. Blake has treated me really well and there is absolutely none of his males who have had the chance to be alone anywhere near me. Blake made sure of that. I am, and have always been, yours, Chris. You are the only one who is touching me.”

I whisper the last sentence as I am still in doubt if I should voice my fears; is he not saying goodbye to me or am I the only one he is touching too?

Chris’ steel grey eyes lights up a bit as they become hopeful.

“Shit, Arya, are you serious? Blake protected you?” he asks desperately and grabs my face in his huge hands. I nod quickly and my eyes fill with tears. Yes, he protected me – but only because his precious saviour was in my belly. As soon as she was out, I was indifferent and _she_ had his full protection. Mixed feelings of hate and gratitude fill my heart. I don’t know which is strongest; the hate because he took my daughter from me or the gratitude that he will protect her. Tears fall from my eyes. Annabelle... my daughter. My precious daughter. Gone. Forever.

“Arya” Chris whispers while his grip around my head tightens. I shake my head as much as his hands allow.

“Annabelle” I whisper crying, and the pity and pain shine in the steel grey eyes in front of me. It’s too much. I break down in front of Chris. He breaks down in front of me. Strong arms surround my shaking body. I desperately cling to Chris is an attempt to get the pain from losing our daughter to go away.

*

I’ve cried for so long that I don’t have any more tears left in me. Chris stopped crying long before I did, but his eyes are dark and gloomy. I lift my head to look up at him. His huge hand lifts to wipe away the salty tears from my cheeks.

“Do you have another female?” I whisper almost silently, but Chris hears me. His eyebrows shoot up in surprise and then pulls down low as his face pulls into a look of disgust and he snorts arrogantly at me.

“Shit, _no_ , Arya, of course I don’t have another female” he replies hard. Some of the pressuring pain in my chest loosens. Chris grabs my face again and his eyes hold mine.

“Why would you even think that?” Chris asks seriously. I shrug casually but there’s nothing indifferent about it for me.

“It is _your_ name tattooed on my neck, Arya. Your body is the one marked by my bonding. You are the one I have made my queen. And you are the mother of my child. The female my body has pained for since you were taken from me. You are the only female in my life. Now and forever.”

My eyes fill with tears again, but this is tears of happiness. Tears of relief. Chris lowers his head and the feel of his warm lips against mine is like coming home. 100% safety. His skilled tongue forces access to my mouth and I feel the heat spread through my body. How I can become horny this soon after having given birth and in the middle of my sorrow over having lost Annabelle, is beyond my understanding, but maybe it’s like the recovery after the birth and the pregnancy itself; ten times faster than for humans? Because my body is reacting to Chris. I almost melt into his hard, warm body and I let myself surrender to his deep kisses. It’s like the pain and sorrow steps back as the lust takes over. There is a desperation and a worship in Chris’ kiss and I feel my own body desperately reach for him. Because in the middle of my sorrow and pain I desperately need safety, love and security. Chris offers me all that... and more.

“Aryanne” he whispers. The sound of my full name on his lips makes chills run down my spine in the best way possible. A flash of my name tattooed on his skin shows itself in my head and I smile widely.

“What?” Chris mumbles against my lips. I shake my head weakly as I put my arms around his neck. I pull my head a bit away so I can look into his steel grey eyes. They shine of lust and love and... sorrow. My smile fades a bit. I pull my hand down so I can look at the black letters of ink on my wrist. _Christopher_.

“I love you” I whisper. Chris’ huge body freezes. His eyes are intense and he slowly opens his mouth.

“Say that again?” he asks as those steel grey are become darker. I feel how the bonding scent emerges from his soft skin to wrap around me like a fog.

“I love you” I repeat seriously and grab a huge chunk of hair from the back of his neck so I can wrap my fingers into it. My other hand slides forward to his cheek and I scratch my nails gently across the soft beard.

“I’m not sure if I like this, but _you_ I love” I smile. Chris is completely quiet. Suddenly he grabs my face and pushes me back on the futon so his hard body can press mine down into the softness.

“You love me” he mumbles between his kisses. A light laughter bubbles out of me.

“Of course I love you. You are my dahari. My male. My king” I reply in four breaths as Chris keeps interrupting me with his kisses. Suddenly he pulls his head away from mine and his eyes are dark and serious. I breathe fast and shallow, completely warm from lust for my male.

“Aryanne Hathaway, I love you” Chris replies seriously as his eyes hold mine.

“There has never been, nor will there ever be, another female for me.”

I feel a wide smile spread on my lips.

“I can live with that” I whisper gently. Chris smiles and lowers his head to mine again. Those huge hands grab my wrists and pull my hands up above my head. He holds both my wrists there with one of his hands as the other huge palm explores down my body. His touches send electricity through my body.

“Chris...” I moan warmly and as a reaction Chris grabs me harder. His lips are soft but demanding and his hand is rough and hard as it moves across my light skin and down towards my legs. I willingly spread my legs and a quick flash of worry over having just given birth settles in my body. But Chris isn’t aware or maybe he just doesn’t care. His hands disappears down between my legs and I feel his long fingers rub against my warm softness. Oh... my... _shit_. I moan into his mouth. It feels so good. So intense, so intimate. The feeling of a male and his strength against my cave is indescribable. As if I haven’t been touched in years, rather than weeks. The heat spreads in my abdomen and I am more than ready for him. Chris lets two fingers slide into me as he groans satisfied. Oh... shit.

“Chris!” I exclaim surprised as an orgasm shakes through my body and completely catches me off guard. Chris chuckles against my neck before his fingers find a slower pace and the shakings in my muscles stop. Warm lips kiss their way from my neck to my chin and up to my lips.

“Arya...” he whispers warmly while his fingers continue their sweet torture between my legs. I twist my hips and arms. Oh it feels so good.

“I want to feel you.”

His words are like gasoline on a bonfire. Chris keeps my hands pinned above my head as his fingers pull out of me and a second later his hips force themselves down between my legs. And then I feel his thick manhood press to be let inside my heat. Shit. He is _so_ big. I had almost forgotten how big he is. So hard, so warm.

“Fuck, Arya” Chris moans as he pushes himself into me and I moan with him in pleasure and a little pain actually.

“Shit, female, how are you still so tight?”

An insecure laughter fills my throat as I try to strangle it. I barely succeed.

“How would I know?” I reply insecure, “I’ve never given birth before. I don’t know what is considered normal for yo – our race. I just know that you feel so good inside me and that I have needed you for so long...”

I let the rest of my words die and close my eyes in pleasure. Chris pulls a bit out and then pushes himself deeper into me. I moan again. His hand releases my wrists, but I don’t get a chance to react to my sudden freedom, before Chris closes his huge arms around my shoulders and hugs me hard while he continues to move deep inside me. I feel his head turn and he breathes in deeply while he smells my hair.

“Yes... _mine_ ” he whispers into my hair while his pace becomes harder and faster. The dark aroma emerges from him and as we are enclosed by the masculine scent, the head spreads in my body. Again. As the heat reaches its peak and the orgasm starts to take over, I feel Chris push himself deep into me while his cock throbs hard. He hugs me to hard that I almost run out of breath, but it doesn’t matter. The safety is all I can feel.

*

I wake up to the sharp rays of the sun that are blinding me completely. I am on my side in the huge king size bed with heat all around me. Slowly I lift the heavy duvet. Chris’ arms are enclosed around me hard. Even in his sleep he is not letting me go. I smile at that as I let the duvet fall down on us again. Chris’ huge body jerks in surprise and his grip around me tightens.

“Arya?” he mumbles insecure and I feel his heart beat hard against my shoulder. I reach down to touch his arms and hug them against myself.

“I’m here” I whisper back. Chris’ body freezes for a brief second. Then he lowers his head to the soft place between my neck and my shoulder, and takes a deep breath.

“Arya” he mumbles against my skin. I nod quietly.

“I’m here” I reply a bit louder. Chris nods against my neck.

“You’re here” he mumbles softly almost like a prayer. I smile again. Then I remember the amazing, intimate sex we had last night. Wow. It felt amazing to have him deep inside me and all around me. I was aware of my need for him being strong, but I had no idea how strong it was or how desperately my body actually craved him. It made so much sense when he explained how a female feels pain when being away from her bonded male for too long because I –

“Shit!” I exclaim surprised as I suddenly realise something. Chris’ body jerks in surprise too and he pushes me onto my back, pins me down into the bed and catches my stare.

“What?” he growls insecure while his eyes slide over my face and down my body.

“You came inside me!” I spit out horrified.

“I don’t want to get pregnant again!”

Chris visibly relaxes and breathes out.

“I’m serious, Chris!” I scream at him while the panic spread in my body. How can he be so fucking calm?!

“I know, Arya, calm down. You can’t get pregnant right now” he replies as he nods and I stare suspiciously up at him.

“I can’t?” I reply insecure and Chris shakes his head while his body relaxes further.

“No. Females have an extended period after a birth where they aren’t fertile. It can take up to a year, maybe more, before you have your next ovulation and can get pregnant again. Some females never get another ovulation after their firstborn. Others keep getting them for the rest of their lives. Females don’t have menopause like human women where their fertility ends. Females’ fertility is depending on the hormones after their first pregnancy. There is no way to measure it or predict it. In the old times there were seers who believed they could read the futures of females’ fertility, but in truth it was probably more an educated guess rather than premonitions, so their rate of success was probably fifty-fifty.”

Seriously? No periods for the next 12 months? Maybe longer? Not that the thought of that isn’t appealing, because hell yes, it is. But the thought of it _never_ happening again would mean that I will not be able to have any more children. That would mean that I will never become a mum for real. And that is a depressing thought. Chris picks up on my mood. He smiles calmingly.

“It will not happen to you, Arya. You are from a strong pure-blooded family and I cannot remember any Hathaway in history that hasn’t had two children and some even more. Don’t worry about this” Chris says as he rubs his nose gently against my shoulder. Don’t worry? That’s easy for him to say.

“And you and I are not meant to not have children. That’s not our destiny. We will carry on our families and secure the throne for many generations. So don’t worry. When you are ready – when _we_ are ready, we will have more children.”

He kisses me gently on the shoulder again.

“I thought you didn’t believe in destiny” I mumble, but I nod nevertheless. Chris chuckles gently. Yeah, he’s probably right. Even though I have my doubts.

*

We eat breakfast in silence, both completely wrapped up in our own thoughts. Mine is all about Annabelle and her (maybe) future siblings. I have never spent much time imagining myself as a mum or contemplating the idea of me having children in my future. Not even when I met Martin or when we celebrated our third anniversary did I think about children, even though he mentioned it to be a dream of his on several occasions. I never considered myself to be mum-material or imagined Martin – or anyone else – to be the future father of my children. But right now, sitting across from Chris in the soft chairs of the huge hotel room, children are the only thing on my mind. Annabelle. My beautiful daughter. Lost. Gone. Forever. Will I ever see her again? Will I ever see Vasilissa and Blake again?

“Let’s go home” Chris mumbles as we finish eating and I nod in agreement. Let’s go home.

*

The huge mansion appears in front of us after a few hours of driving in silence. We’re at the outskirts of Manchester and the first light of the day lights up the huge mansion like a torch. The landscape around us is covered in snow and the scenery looks more like a picture from a fairy tale book. Chris takes my hand and leads me up the wide steps to the mansion and into the large entree hall.

“Arya!”

The sound of a dark voice calling my name pierces my heart and my eyes fill with tears even before I look up to see who have spoken. Because I already know.

“Ian” I whisper weakly. Ian runs down the stairs and his huge arms close around me, forcing Chris to let me go. Ian’s hug lifts me from the floor and he hugs me tightly against his hard chest. He buries his head in my hair and I feel his chest rise and fall as if he’s breathing really fast. Is he crying?

“ _Ian_ ” I whisper again and hold him close to me.

“ _Brother mine_.”

A light sniffle shakes the huge body. Yes, he’s crying.

“ _Siastra majha_ ” Ian mumbles into my hair. He slowly releases me and lets my feet touch the ground again. His green – my green – eyes are filled with tears and gratitude and sorrow.

“Are you unharmed?” he mumbles as those green eyes scan my face to check me for injuries. I start to nod, but then decide to shrug instead, because am I unharmed?

“I’ll live” I whisper back and feel how my eyes fill with tears. Ian nods with a tight jaw befpre he pulls me into his arms again.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise” Ian whispers so silently that Chris can’t hear it. My tears fall gently onto his chest and I sniffle quietly, even though Chris can probably hear me crying anyway.

“That wasn’t the promise you made me” I whisper back and hug Ian harder even though my arms aren’t even half as strong as his. Ian continues as if I haven’t spoken.

“I tried, Aryanne, I really did. But it wasn’t enough. _I_ wasn’t enough. I should have tried harder, I should have-“

“Stop, please. Ian, you did everything you could. It’s not your fault that Blake was stronger than us. Thank you for trying to save me” I whisper, “and Dragan will never be able to touch me again. Blake made sure of that.”

Ian’s arms crush me against him.

“He killed his own son?” Ian mumbles surprised, I nod against his chest as I open my mouth to reply.

“Hathaway!”

We both turn towards the sound of the name and it actually takes me a couple of seconds before I realise that the person who was called for is Ian. I look up at him in surprise and his smile for me is radiant.

“I took our family name” he smiles proudly, even though I can see the pain from the truth in his eyes – the truth about our father. I nod with a smile.

“I’m really glad you did” I reply and smile even wider. Ian looks over at the male who called him and nods.

“I have to go. But I will see you later, right?” he asks anxiously.

“Of course. I’m home” I reply and feel Chris’ strong arms wrap around me from behind as Ian slowly lets me go. The two males nod to each other before Ian turns to leave with the other male.

“Are you hungry?” Chris mumbles to my hair, but I shake my head.

“I’d rather have a shower” I reply slowly. Chris’ hug loosens and I turn towards him.

“Go take a shower then, Arya. I’ve got some business to take care of anyway. I will find you later” Chris mumbles and pulls my head up before he presses his warm lip against my forehead. I nod. I turn to leave, but Chris grabs my arm again. I turn in surprise. His face is filled with agony.

“I can’t bear to let you go” he mumbles and pulls me into his huge arms again. I feel tears sting in my eyes and cling myself to him.

“I know” I whisper into his chest, as I breathe in his masculine and amazing scent.

“But I am home now.”

Chris nods into my hair.

“And I will never let you out of my sight again” he growls. Seriously? He’s still worried because I left him? I feel a stab of fear.

“Chris” I whisper and lift my head to look up at him, “you can’t keep me at your side 24/7. You have to trust me to stay here.”

His steel grey eyes become hard and serious.

“I trust _you_ , Arya. I don’t trust everyone else. And no, I can’t keep you at my side all the time, but almost. And when I am unable to have you with me, I will make sure you have a bodyguard with you instead. Even when you are in this mansion without me, you will not be alone. I cannot lose you again. I have already lost you twice in the short time you have been mine. But no one will able to able to take you away from me again. Not Dragan, nor Blake or anyone else ever again.”

I stand completely frozen for a second as his words make sense in my head. Is he serious? He wants me to have a bodyguard with me all the time?

“So now that I want to take a shower but you have to work, someone else is supposed to be with me? How close is he supposed to be – into the bedroom with me? Is he supposed to stand guard in the bathroom?” I ask sarcastically and annoyed. A bodyguard? No freaking way. Chris snorts arrogantly. I hate when he does that.

“Absolutely not. He will be standing guard in the hallway. I don’t want anyone else in our bedroom; that space is sacred. And even if it had been a female guard, she would not have been allowed to see my female naked. No one will be seeing you naked except me. Having to allow all those people into the room when you gave birth to our daughter was more than enough and that will never happen again.”

I open my mouth to object, but shut it again. Because what am I doing? Why am I objecting? Chris is trying to protect me, because he loves me. I can’t object to that.

“Besides” Chris says as he pulls me into his arms, “you are the queen. You must be protected no matter where you are. A bodyguard is not just to please my need to keep you safe, it’s to protect the queen of our race.”

I nod against his chest.

“You’re right, Chris. I accept” I reply. Chris pulls me out so he can look down at me with suspicious eyes.

“You accept?” he asks baffled. I nod seriously.

“Just like that?”

He tone is sceptical and I can’t even blame him for it. I nod again.

“Just like that. Because you are right. I belong with you and I have already been forced away from you twice. Last time we lost our daughter because of it. I can’t have that happen again. So of course you have to protect me with everything you feel is right. If that is a bodyguard, I will have a bodyguard.”

I keep my eyes locked at his as I return his hard stare.

“And if I ask you to stay in this mansion for your own protection?” he asks with his head tilted slightly to the side and a challenge in his grey eyes.

“Then I will stay in this mansion for as long as you ask me to” I reply hard and seriously. Slowly Chris’ hard stare soften and he nods pleased. He pulls me into his body again and his lips are warm and rough.

“Good girl. Now go take that shower” he says as he releases me and pushes me towards the stairs while he mumbles “before I fucking regret letting you go.”

I almost run up the stairs and close the door to our bedroom behind me, while I half expect to hear the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall. But after about three minutes of silence, I realise that Chris is not following me and I exhale in relief before I walk into the bathroom.


	29. Another Bonding ceremony

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

A hard knock on the door almost makes me scream in surprise. Chris? No, he wouldn’t knock. I pull the towel closer to my body and silently walk towards the door. Maybe it’s that bodyguard Chris wants to enforce on me?

“Yes?” I ask carefully while I feel my heart hammering hard in my chest. It’s completely silent.

“Aryanne?”

What? Is that...? I quickly open the door. Roman Ozera is standing up against the wall like a bodyguard – which he is – and next to him is Kalya, Vasilissa’s daughter. The contrast between what happened with Blake and the last four weeks, and the reality I’m living in with Chris hits me right in the face and makes my eyes fill with tears.

“Kalya?” I whisper surprised. Her dark eyes are gentle and filled with compassion. She sinks down to her knees in front of me with her head bend towards the floor; right in the middle of the hallway as I stand in the door opening only wearing my towel. Roman smiles confident at the scenery in front of him; not even hiding the arrogance on his face.

“ _Maya karalieva_ , you have no reason to trust me after what my mum and Blake have done to you and your family, but I am here today to apologise on my family’s behalf. And to beg for your forgiveness for my brother and myself. We didn’t know. Blake never told any of us, not that we saw him a lot, but he didn’t even tell our mother, even though she ended up choosing him over her children.”

I see the pain from her words shine in those lovely dark eyes.

“Kalya” I start and reach down for her hands. Reluctantly she lets me pull her up to stand, but she keeps her head bend in a refusal to look at my face.

“Kalya” I demand a little harder and she cannot resist my command. Her lovely face lifts towards me and her dark eyes are filled with sorrow and pain.

“There is nothing to forgive. Blake deceived us all. His actions are his alone and he alone will be held accountable for them. Your brother and you are innocent. Even your mother is innocent. I have no doubt about her only going with Blake to protect _my daughter_ ; not to betray her children.”

Kalya’s eyes close for a brief second as the pain spreads in her face.

“You really think so...?” she whispers in agony. I hug her hands harder in mine while I nod slowly.

“Absolutely. Vasilissa is the best female I’ve ever met. She would never accept what Blake has done unless she had one hell of a reason to do so. My daughter is that reason” I reply seriously and Kalya nods quietly.

“I hope you are right, karalieva” she whispers. I hope so too.

“Do you want to come in?” I ask and nod towards my bedroom.

“If you’ll give me a second to get dressed, we can talk?”

Kalya shakes her head.

“I’d love to. Honestly. But I don’t have time for it. I promised my brother that I would help get his female ready. But I assumed you’d want to be there too seeing as she’s your _síabar_?” she asks curiously. I feel my face pull together as I look at her not understanding anything.

“What, Megan? Get her ready for what?”

“The Bonding? Between her and my brother? Tonight. Here in the King’s mansion. Has no one told you?” Kalya shakes her head in surprise.

“No, no one told me. But I’ve only just gotten... home this morning. I haven’t talked to anyone besides Chris and my brother” I reply. Megan and Vladimir are bonding! Kalya smiles widely at me.

“How about you get dressed and we can walk to Megan’s room together?” she asks and I slowly nod my approval.

*

The whole mansion is buzzing with expectation. Megan and Vladimir has chosen a more intimate ceremony than what Chris and I had – but of course, they aren’t the king and queen of anything so they can do what they want without worrying about inviting half the race. Still the whole mansion is working to get ready for the ceremony. Megan and the closest females in her life are gathered in her room; her sister Catania, Vladimir’s sister Kalya and myself. Catania is the exact opposite of Megan. Megan’s skin is dark tanned where as Catania’s is as fair as mine and her hair is light brown with a hint of red in it. If I didn’t know better I would never have guessed them to be sisters. If the circumstances had been different, both Megan’s mum and Vladimir’s mum would have been here too, along with any aunts and grandmothers they both would have had too. But Megan’s family is gone and Vasilissa can’t be here for obvious reasons, so it’s just the four of us having to do the best we can to get Megan ready for her Bonding. Kalya is the only one of us who knows all the traditions associated with a Bonding, as she was raised by Vasilissa and Blake, because her – and Vladimir’s – biological father died when they were young. Catania and Megan’s parents died when they were kids too and I’m raised in the human world, so no one has told us about the old traditions. I do however recognise some of the traditions from my own Bonding, but most of them are completely unknown to me too and I try my best to keep track of them all. So the one with the ribbon bound around the wrists I understand and it makes sense to bind the couple together with the ribbon. The tattoo kinda explains itself; ownership by branding. Then there is a tradition where the male braids the female’s hair – and if he belongs to an original family, he braids a ribbon of his family’s colour into the braid – it is another symbol of her being bound to him. I widen my eyes in shock as Kalya explains one of the more ancient traditions where friends of the male ‘kidnaps’ his female during the celebration and the male has to either solve a riddle or pay a ransom to get his female back. Even if I hadn’t been kidnapped for real so many times, I can’t imagine anyone being brave enough to kidnap me for fun and risk summoning the wrath of Chris upon them. And considering how possessive Vladimir seemed to be towards Megan that day at the hospital, I can’t imagine anyone daring to kidnap her from him either. Not if they value their lives.

The four of us spend the whole day together, as we get Megan and ourselves ready for the ceremony of the night.

“Shit, do you guys even know what day it is?” I exclaim suddenly as I hear Catania mention, that her parents had their Bonding on this exact date 30 years ago. All three females turn towards me with surprise in their beautiful faces.

“It’s December 24th? Christmas Eve?” I reply and Kalya’s face is a mask of not understanding, but Megan and Catania nods in recognition.

“What is this Christmas Eve?” Kalya asks baffled. I stare at her in amazement. Seriously?

“What? Christmas Eve? You don’t know what that is? Do you guys not celebrate Christmas?”

All three females shake their heads at me.

“Christmas is a human tradition, Arya” Megan replies calmly, as Catania nods to confirm before taking over the explanation, “only humans celebrate Christmas. We have another tradition, more like the old pagan and Viking traditions of solstice, which we celebrate twice a year; December 21st and June 21st.”

Kalya nods to confirm.

“My mum had planned a winter solstice on the 21st of December, which is why I came to visit them, to surprise her for the celebration, but then you went into labour and... yeah...” Kalya says looking down at her hands. I smile sadly at her, as I nod. I arise to my feet and smile down at all three females, who is all looking amazing in their party dresses.

“You all look so beautiful” I mumble and look down at my own, boring clothes of a tank top and a pair of jogging pants.

“I have to go find myself a dress too.”

I laugh gently and they all laugh with me as Catania arises from her position.

“Shall I accompany you, my queen?” she asks smiling, but I shake my head as I point to the chair again.

“Oh no, that’s fine. You just stay here and help Megan, it’s her day” I smile and Catania sits down smiling at me, “I’ll see you soon.”

*

I’ve looked through my whole closet and found several options of dresses, but none of them seems to be just the right one. I sigh as I let myself sit down on the bed. What am I going to wear? A hard knock on the door makes me scream in surprise.

“It’s me, Arya” Chris mumbles from the other side and I exhale in relief as my male enters our bedroom. Holy crap. He looks amazing. He’s wearing a tuxedo not unlike the one he wore at our ceremony – if it’s not the same one? – and his shirt is the exact same colour of indigo blue as then. He looks better than amazing. He looks like he’s mine. A wide smile hangs on his lips and the sight of him has heat spreading in my body. He has a huge, square box in his hands and a smaller long box lies on top of it. He walks past me to put the boxes on the bed while I shut the door behind him. I turn and his eyes slide down my body and even though there’s nothing particularly sexual about the way he looks at me – because he’s looking at my clothes and not my body – him looking at me makes my heart beat faster. He smiles even wider than before.

“Hmm I hope you don’t plan to wear that, Arya? I know you have a resistance towards me bringing you clothes to wear, but that outfit is not acceptable for a Bonding” he says with a nod at my clothes and I open my mouth to come with a snarky reply. But no words come out because as I inhale to speak, the only thing I inhale is Chris’ bonding scent. I close my eyes in pleasure while I slowly shake my head as a reply. Chris steps in closer to me and I can feel how my body instinctively sway towards his like a force of nature I can’t control myself. Those steel grey eyes are luminous from lust.

“You want me, female” he growls warmly as he takes another step towards me. I nod quietly. It is as if the heat explodes from Chris’ huge body and as it hits me, I almost fall backwards from the impact that radiates towards me like a wave.

“We don’t have a lot of time, but I think we have time for the most important thing” Chris mumbles as he sets his body in motion. Everything happens so fast that I barely see him move. One second is he right in front of me with his sassy smile and his lustful eyes. The next second his hands have closed around my wrists, forced my arms behind my back where they are held in place in one of his huge palms. The other hand is placed between my legs in a hard grab. Shit. I can feel his masculine power through the thin fabric of my panties and trousers, and the heat between my legs radiates towards his hand. I wrist my hips in a desperate attempt to feel him better and I wrist my arms because I want to touch him, but Chris pays no attention to my twisting. His hand between my legs slides in under my panties and his mouth sucks hard at the thin skin on my neck while his fingers find their way into my wet heat. I moan loudly and feel my legs buckle a bit under me because I am completely in Chris’ power.

“ _Chris_ ” I moan and wrist my arms again. Chris lifts his head to me and those steel grey eyes are luminous. This is a male who wants to possess and own his female – and that is exactly what he is doing. He is exercising his power over me as he intensively takes control over my body.

“What is it, Arya? You don’t like what I’m doing to you?” he mumbles warmly against my neck and presses his fingers deeper into me. My knees buckle a bit more.

“I _love_ everything you do to me” I moan in agony as the heat spreads through my body. Chris smiles widely.

“So you don’t want me to stop...?” Chris mumbles just as his fingers find my most sensitive spot. I moan loudly and push myself down on his hand.

“No!” I scream desperately as I beg for more; “Please Chris... please take me...”

“Shit, I can’t say no to you” he growls hard. His fingers disappear from between my legs and suddenly my hands are free, but I don’t get a chance to react as my pants are being pulled down and then they are gone. Chris grabs my ass and lifts me up on his hips as he walks forward until I hit the door with my back. His cock is warm and hard; it throbs against my thigh a second before is presses on to be let inside me. I am more than happy to invite it in and I put my arms around Chris’ broad shoulders to keep my balance. Chris enters me and it doesn’t take many minutes for me to feel the heat reach its peak and an orgasm erupts inside my abdomen. Chris growls my name as he shoots himself deeper into me, and he ejaculates as my own orgasm slowly fades. His eyes find mine and they are full of lust, power and triumph.

“ _Mine_ ” he growls as he kisses me deeply. I nod between the kisses because I am. Chris pulls himself out of me and lets my feet touch the ground again. Shit. That was the definition of a quickie.

“I brought a dress for you” he mumbles as he closes his pants and I look at him in surprise.

“You did?” I ask. Chris nods towards the boxes on the bed.

“I had a feeling you’d need a dress to wear for the ceremony.”

Shit. How did he know? How does he always know? I slowly lift the lid on the box and gasp loudly as I lift the dress from it. Holy shit. The dress is amazing. Absolutely stunning. I have absolutely no doubt about Chris having picked the dress out for me, because it just screams Chris’ taste. It is two pieces. The inner dress is deep black satin that covers everything except my shoulders that are free and the fabric is softer than fur. There is an emerald green corset to go outside the black dress. The exact same colour as my eyes. Holy shit, who would have thought that Chris would want me in a dress like this? I feel his warm hands close around my waist from behind, as his puts his nose down to my hair and pulls me hard – almost violently – into his body.

“I know you will look absolutely stunning in that dress, Arya, because you look stunning in everything, even the tacky clothes I just tore off you. But I can’t wait to be able to tear this dress off you and untie that corset from your lovely curves. I might tie you up in a different way instead” he growls deeply into my ear. The words are like a direct ignition of the heat inside of me and I moan softly in expectation. Chris chuckles as he lets me go.

“Come on, female; let’s get you into that dress. And keep your hair down” he mumbles and takes the dress from me.

*

All the guests are gathered in the huge entree gall and I wonder why they haven’t decided to use the banquet hall instead? Maybe they didn’t feel there were enough guests to fill the hall? Or maybe they liked the intimacy of the mansion instead? No matter the reason, all the guests are gathered closely in the decorated hallway. There are columns of flowers down every wall, light chains hanging down from the ceiling like a sky of stars and the staircase to the upper floor is covered in flower petals and rows of flowers all the way up.

Megan is still in her room with the other two females and myself, but we can hear the rising noise from the hallway as the guests begin to enter. Megan seems nervous as she fumbles with her dress and keeps touching the ribbon that’s tied under her breasts.

“You look beautiful” I mumble to her as I stand behind her. She looks at me through the mirror in front of us and smiles weakly.

“You think so? Oh I hope V thinks so too” she smiles nervously and I choke on a laugh.

“I think we will be lucky if V can control himself long enough for the ceremony to be complete before he throws himself at you. He will definitely love you in that dress, but to be honest, I think the dress is indifferent to him. I remember how he wanted you even when you were lying all bruised up in a hospital bed” I reply and Megan’s cheeks take on the loveliest of blushes. Damn. That was the final touch. She’s ready.

“Yeah I know you’re right. I know. I’m just... nervous” she mumbles and fiddles with the ribbon again. She’s wearing a basic black slip with thin straps and a long, cream coloured blonde dress over it that is see-through so you can actually see the blackness underneath. Elegant, yet damn inciting. I put my hands over hers from behind her and rest my chin on her shoulder. Her long dark hair tickles my nose.

“You have nothing to be nervous about” I whisper as I hug her tightly in my arms, “everything is going to be fine.”

I see Kalya step up behind us and Catania is right next to her.

“Are you ready, _siastra majha_?” Catania asks Megan and Megan nods eagerly.

“It’s time” Kalya announces as she nods towards the door. We all turn towards it just as the first knock in the door sounds. I exchange a look with Megan through the mirror before I let her go.

Chris, Ian and Jason are all in the hallway waiting for us. Ian smiles widely at us all before he offers his arm to Catania who blushes as she slowly puts her hand on his hard muscles. Jason offers his arm to Kalya and she smiles a beautiful smile at him as she accepts it. When they have left the room, Chris reaches out a hand for me and I am not hesitating as I put my own in it.

“I have something for you” Chris says as his eyes sparkle at me and he pulls out the long box from earlier. I look up at him with a puzzled expression while he slowly open the box to reveal two long ribbons inside it; one indigo blue and one emerald green. The green ribbon is the exact same colour as the corset I’m wearing as well as the colour of my eyes. The blue is the exact same colour as his shirt and the dress he put me in the first night I was with him. And the colour of the bed sheet on our bed, now that I think about it. What is it with these colours? Something stirs in my memory; someone said something about Ozera-blue, didn’t they?

“These colours...” I whisper and Chris nods to me.

“Our family colours. The blue represents the Ozera family and the green is the colour of the Hathaways” Chris mumbles as he looks up at my hair while lifting the ribbons out of the box.

“Turn around.”

I obey. His strong fingers grab my lose hair and holds it tight as he starts to braid it down my back. It only takes him a few seconds to braid my long, cobber blonde hair into a very nice braid. And I am suddenly very sure that he has braided the blue ribbon into my braid. The tradition Kalya told us about.

“I thought that was something that was done during a Bonding” I mumble, as Chris turns me around.

“We never finished our Bonding ceremony” Chris replies and holds out the green ribbon for me.

“Tie this around my wrist.”

I smile widely as I obey, while sexual fantasies about a tied up Chris dance around in my head. I look up. Chris is smiling widely at me, as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking but he doesn’t comment it.

“I never got to give you this either” Chris says instead as he reaches into his pocket and take out a little blue box. What it this? More? His steel grey eyes shine with anticipation.

“What is it?” I whisper in excitement as I lift the lid on the little blue box in Chris’ hand. Holy shit! It’s a ring. A gold ring with the most amazing green emerald shaped as an oval in a thin gold embrace. On each side of the oval there is two smaller emeralds shaped like drops as they follow the shape of the ring and after then, another four very small emeralds in their own gold setting. The green emeralds cover the entire upper side of the ring.

“Chris!” I exclaim surprised as I look up him. The ring is perfect. It is exactly the kind of ring I would have chosen myself and it just screams ‘me’.

“It belonged to my mum” Chris mumbles as he takes the ring out of the box.

“She got it from my dad when they were crowned many years ago. It is the ring that symbolises the queen of the race. The queen’s ring. The stones are emerald because the first queen of our race was a Hathaway and as the green colour represents your family, so does the emerald stone. And those green eyes of yours are also a Hathaway-feature.”

Chris reaches for my hand and I feel the old gold ring slide down on my finger like it was made for it.

“It is perfect” I whisper and look up at Chris whose eyes sparkle at me.

“ _You_ are perfect” he whispers down to me and let his lips find mine. One of his hands slides down my back and presses against my lower back so I am pressed hard in against his warm body while the other hand twists my braid around it to keep my head against his. The grip is hard and dominating, and it has heat spreading in my body as I moan my pleasure into Chris’ mouth. He growls deeper and grips me harder.

“I have marked you as mine in almost every way possible and still it feels like I can’t get you close enough” he mumbles and I know exactly what he means. Even with his bonding scent on me, his name inked on my skin, the coloured ribbon of his family in my hair and his mother’s ring on my finger, it still doesn’t feel like it’s enough. But I have no idea what more to do.

“You can mark me in any way you want” I whisper against his lips and am rewarded with a satisfied and very masculine growl. Chris pulls my braid back so I have to tilt my head backwards and his eyes catch mine.

“I will remember that for later, abranyaa” he growls with a serious smile. I smile back as wide as I can, while I grab his shirt and pull him closer to me.

“You do that” I whisper. Chris lowers his head to mine again.

“Ah shit!”

The voice is coming from somewhere behind me and I jerk in surprise but Chris doesn’t move at all. He keeps the hard grip on my braid as he looks over my shoulder with annoyance.

“That’s the second time you’ve interrupted us” he growls unsatisfied as he releases his grip on my hair, “if this wasn’t the day of your Bonding, I might have some consequences for you. But because it is, I will let it go.”

I turn and see Megan’s face light up in a mask of fear and horror. I smile widely while I laugh nervously and puff my elbow into Chris’ side.

“Chris! You’re scaring her!” I exclaim. Then I take a step towards Megan.

“He’s joking, Megan. Don’t worry” I try to convince her and her eyes look over at Chris. I turn a bit to see the deep sarcasm in those steel grey eyes, but underneath it is a seriousness I would rather not see.

“Right, saved by your queen, Amaraz. Or Moroz as you are about to become” Chris says and his eyes roam over my face for a second before he focuses on Megan again.

“If you are ready?”

Megan stands petrified while she stares at my male with utter horror in her face. Oh honey, I know that feeling as I had the exact same one when I first got to know him. But don’t worry. I’ll keep him on his best behaviour. Slowly Megan begins to smile as her face softens and she focuses on me. I smile the most calming smile I can muster and Megan nods with determination.

“I’m ready.”

*

I’ve never attended a wedding before, so my only experiences with these are from movies and books. I’ve never been to any other Bondings than my own, so my experiences here are limited too. But as I move down the huge staircase with my hand on Chris’ arm, I realise that it doesn’t matter. It’s not about rituals or traditions or decorations. It’s about love. The love between the two persons who are about to exchange vows of fidelity, of course, but perhaps more importantly the love between the people gathered to celebrate. The friends and the family gathered. Because the love hangs like a dense cloud in the entree hall of Chris’ mansion and as we step down to the floor I can feel the love all around me as I look at the people who are gathered here. Everyone is here. Literally. The occupants of the mansion of course, but also many others whom I haven’t seen or even thought about for a very long time. Yulian Ozera is here with his son Roman and both of them nod in respect to me as we walk past them. At Roman’s side is a gorgeous female with deep chocolate brown hair and amazing hassle coloured eyes. She curties low to me and I smile in return. Is that Roman’s female? No wait, the more I look at her, the more it becomes clear that she is not his female; she’s his sister. The similarities between them are easy to overlook if you don’t look close enough because she’s older than Roman. She’s probably about my age actually. James and Victoria are here too, though I have absolutely no idea why they would be here, but I forget about that as I see the elderly male standing next to James. It’s the male from my first night with Chris; the one whom I saw in the hallway who wanted to ‘get to know me better’, but Chris had me run and lock myself in his bedroom. Yikes. All three of them smile widely as they bow their heads and I feel Chris nod back to them. We walk past Jason and Kalya, and Ian and Catania who are all standing on each sides of a long narrow carpet that has been lain down throughout the entree hall. The colour is a deep amethyst purple; not the usual blood red that humans use. I guess Others have their own traditions. Chris leans in to me.

“It’s Megan’s family colour; amethyst. In our traditions it’s the colour of the female’s family who dominates the Bonding, as a tribute to her saying goodbye to it and taking over the male’s family” Chris mumbles quietly so only I can hear. I nod as I look around us. I only now realise that the whole theme of the Bonding is definitely purple. That beautiful dark colour is everywhere from the flowers to the ribbons to the candles. We all turn when Vladimir enters the entree hall from the kitchen, and holy crap! He is handsome. Dressed in a cream coloured suit that sets off his dark handsomeness and he is wearing a shirt that is so red, it looks like it was coloured with blood. His face is serious but a bit nervous as the expectations shine in his eyes. I feel the other guests start to position themselves down the purple carpet and I am a bit surprised to see Olenna amongst the guests. But then again, why wouldn’t she be here? Her grey hair stands out in the crowd of young people, but she keeps her head held high as she smiles knowingly, but a bit sad at me. I look and see her hands in which there are two long deep purpled ribbons and a small black box. I smile back at her, just as the sound of voices softens to a whisper only to die completely so the silence is taking over. Must be showtime. Olenna steps forward and slowly she walks up the long purple carpet, still holding the ribbons and the little box in her wrinkled hands. He bows very gently to me and holds out the ribbons for me.

“Two ribbons to represent the Amaraz family” she mumbles so only I can hear, “one for our female and one for our queen, as you will be her witness.”

Witness? As in witness to the Bonding? Some kind of maid of honour, maybe? I accept the ribbons and reach a hand down to help Olenna stand again. She smiles kindly at me as her eyes roam over me; from my dress and the colour of my corset, to my braid and the Ozera-blue ribbon braided into it. Her smile is one of recognition and respect and she reaches her hand for me. I offer her my own and slowly she places the little black box in my hand without saying anything. Then she turns and walks back down the carpet to her position and thank whoever has been thoughtful enough to place a chair for her. My fingers ache to open the little black box, but I hide it in my hand as this is Megan and Vladimir’s day. I can open it later. No rush. Kalya steps forward next and I am surprised to see two ribbons in her hands as well; though these ribbons are red as rubies. I’m guessing that’s the colour for the Moroz family? She moves elegantly closer to us before she stops right in front of Chris. She bows gently and reaches the ribbons to him. He accepts them with a short nod and Kalya hurries back to stand next to Catania who is standing next to me.

We all turn towards the staircase when footsteps sound. Megan appears at the top of it and what a vision she is. She looks like a goddess as she descends the staircase in her cream coloured dress with the black dress under it. Her long, dark hair is hanging loose down her back while it waves softly over her shoulders. She’s carrying a single purple lily in her hands that matches the colour of the rest of the theme. Her feet are bare and I wonder is that too is a part of the tradition as I recall how Chris removed my stilettos before our Bonding. I look over at Vladimir. His eyes are huge as he stares up at Megan with a slightly open mouth and worship in his dark eyes. Megan is his goddess; there is absolutely no doubt about that. Her eyes are also fixated on Vladimir as she steps down to the floor and gently move towards us up the long carpet. She stops right in front of Vladimir who falls to his knees in front of her. He reaches for Megan’s hands.

“Megan. I love you, _maya abranyaa_. I never thought I would find love, but then you showed up. I will never be without you and you will never be without me. From this day until my last.”

For a male who barely speaks two words to anyone, this is probably the most I have heard him say ever. Megan’s brown eyes shine with tears of happiness. She nods her accept. A wide and confident smile spreads on Vladimir’s face. He stands quickly as Kalya steps forward. In her hands she now has the thick white ribbon with the golden flower embroilment. She binds the fabric around their hands.

“I will never be without you and you will never be without me. From this day until my last. My dahari” Megan repeats as a vow and that confident smile on Vladimir’s face becomes even wider. Megan smiles up at him with her very happy eyes even though they are filled with tears. Kalya unties the white ribbon and the door to the kitchen opens. I smile widely when Magnus comes out into the entree hall with his little black bag in his hands. He nods to Chris and bows lightly in front of me. What a lovely surprise to see Magnus again. Behind Magnus enters another male who carries the same props as last time; a chair a little table. Time for tattoo.

When Magnus is done with his art in Vladimir’s neck, Vladimir stands up with pride all over his handsome face and his eyes sparkle with ownership towards Megan. And now he has her name tattooed in the back of this neck; you don’t get much more owned than that. Chris reaches one of the ruby red ribbons towards Vladimir who accepts it with a short nod. I quickly hand one of the purple ribbons in my hand to Megan who smiles gratefully at me while she turns her front to me. Vladimir’s smooth hands grab her long, dark hair. He is efficient as he braids the red ribbon into her hair and the red colour stands out perfectly against the darkness of Megan’s hair. Megan turns towards Vladimir and he holds out his hands for her to tie the ribbon around his thick wrist.

“Abranyaa” Vladimir whispers and Megan practically beams of happiness. Vladimir lowers his lips to Megan’s as cheers erupt amongst the guests in the entree hall. I look over at Chris and the intensity in his stare makes my knees weak and I almost sink down to the floor right in front of him. Those steel grey eyes are luminous and sparkle with love and ownership, desire and triumph. Shit. If we weren’t standing in the middle of the entree hall surrounded by all these people... he would have had me right here on the floor. Just ripped up my dress and entered me hard and fast because it is his right to do so. That’s exactly what his eyes are telling me. I exhale deeply as I look down while I feel my cheeks burn hot. The cheers in the room slowly fade and are replaced by a slow mumble of conversations around us. I lift my eyes and gasp loudly. Chris is standing right in front of me; so close that I should have felt the heat from his body or heart him move. His hand grabs my braid and twists it around his fingers as his mouth lowers to my ear.

“Nowhere to run, _female_. But you don’t want to run. You want to _obey me_. Isn’t that right?” Chris whispers warmly into my ear. Holy crap. The heat from his breath is like a spark that ignites a fire inside me but it’s the memory of those exact words that has goose bumps spreading down my arms. I shake my head very slowly as it is still being held hard in Chris’ grip. I see Megan approach us out of the corner of my eyes and Chris immediately releases my braid.

“Arya?” she asks insecurely while she smiles hesitantly.

“Again? Third time is not a charm for you, Moroz” Chris growls and I laugh silently as I grab for his arm. I reach around his waist to cling myself to his hard body and put my head to rest on his broad chest. Slowly Chris’ body softens and a huge arm sneaks around my bare shoulders. Megan smiles carefully.

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to interrupt, again, but I-“ she starts but Vladimir stepping up behind her shuts her up. His arm is placed possessively around Megan’s small shoulders in an exact mirroring of Chris’ hold on me.

“I better hold on to you, female, you never know who might try to kidnap you from me” Vladimir growls into Megan’s hair and her cheeks blush deep reddish as she looks down.

“No one dares” Chris replies seriously. Vladimir looks up at Chris and the two males seem to be having some non-verbal conversation. Then Vladimir nods accepting and approvingly. He mumbles something into Megan’s hair that I can’t hear, but that deep red colour in her cheeks tells me of the sexual message in his words. I pull a bit in Chris’ huge body and he looks questionably down at me.

“Maybe we should let them...” I start as I nod towards Megan and Vladimir who are deeply engaged in each other. Chris releases my shoulders and nod towards the staircase.

“You know where to go” he growls expectantly and another flashback to those exact words has chills spreading down my back. Oh yeah, I know _exactly_ where to go.


	30. When the roles are reversed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: sexual description.

I hear the door close behind me and my whole body shakes with anticipation and desire. Chris steps up behind me and I feel his hands on my shoulders. They slide down my back and grab the string on the corset before he starts to loosen it with his skilled fingers. As he pulls the strings, the corset tightens on my breasts and I feel my nipples get hard with the feeling. Damn, this is hot. Who would have thought that being untied from a corset would be so damned hot? As the corset is loosened completely, Chris lets it fall to the floor while he takes off his own jacket. He throws it casually onto the floor somewhere and I turn towards him. My eyes follow while his fingers unbutton each of the buttons of the indigo blue shirt. I gasp in excitement as his huge tattooed upper body becomes visible when Chris opens the shirt and he pushes it down his shoulders before letting it fall from his hands. Mmm he looks amazing. Chris smiles widely while he kicks off his shoes and socks. Then he turns towards the bed and lie down in an Absolute-Hunk position with his hands behind his head and his legs loosely spread – he’s only wearing the smoking pants and the green ribbon on his wrist. His eyes are warm and challenging. Holy crap. He is the definition of sex. And he’s _mine_.

“So, abranyaa, the power is all yours” he growls with a wide grin. I stare petrified at him while the meaning of his words slowly makes sense. He wants _me_ to take control? I thought he wanted to be the dominating one – just like he was the first time... and all the other times. He wants _me_ to dominate? An endless list of possibilities runs through my head as I feel a wide grin spread on my face.

“That’s right, Arya” Chris mumbles approvingly. I crook my head a bit as I look down at my incredible hot male who is lying half-naked waiting for me. My teeth bite down on my lower lip as I let the shoulders on the black dress slide down my arms. Chris’ smile fades a bit while his eyes become intense with desire. I push the dress down over my breasts. Chris hisses animalistic at me, but I keep my eyes locked at his. The dress slides further down my body and now hangs loosely on my hips. My breasts are still covered in the strop less black bra. I grab the edge of the dress and slowly push it down my ass and hips so it lands softly around my stilettos. I let the little black box fall down into the pile of dress too. Chris hisses again as he sits up in the bed, but I shake my head slowly as I point at him with one finger.

“Oh no, you just stay right there” I mumble seriously. Chris takes a deep breath before he lets himself fall back onto the bed. I take a few steps closer until I stand right next to the bed only wearing my underwear and stilettos. And Chris’ ribbon in my hair. And his ring, of course. I lean in over Chris and hold his gaze as I slowly unfasten his belt and pull it out of his pants. Flashbacks to the hard sex where he spanked me with this exact belt flash before my eyes and I can actually feel the heat from the pain on my ass. I smile widely as I feel my cheeks burn hot.

“Yes, Arya, I remember too” Chris mumbles warmly; his words are like a caress across my skin and I sway towards him. Shit. I was supposed to be in control; not him!

“Quiet” I mumble and take another deep breath. Chris shuts his mouth but that wide-ass smile isn’t going anywhere. I crawl up into the bed and sit on my knees right next to Chris’ head; so close that I can feel the hotness of his breath against my thighs. I grab his thick wrists and pull his heavy arms up above his head, where I tie the belt around them as well as around the bedpost.

“Nowhere to run, _Chris_. But you don’t want to run. You want to _obey me_. Isn’t that right?” I whisper warmly into his ear and a wave of lust explodes from his huge body. The impact almost knocks me over. Chris snaps for me with his mouth, but for once I am faster and I move away from his teeth as I laugh triumphantly. This is _fun_. I crawl up in his hips and position my heat right above his cock. Shit. He’s so hard already. I can clearly feel how hard he is through his pants and my own panties. His hard length jerks up against my heat.

“Now you are completely in my power. I can do exactly what I want to you...” I whisper triumphant and Chris’ stare intensifies. Another flashback to our first time together. Oh yeah, the roles have definitely been switched now. I lay my hands flat on his hard, warm chest and his heart beats hard against my palms. I let my hands slide down the soft skin; let them slide over the carved muscles in his abdomen all the way down to the wristband of his boxers. As I move my hands, I keep my eyes locked on Chris’ and I enjoy every one of his breaths that slowly become more strained and deeper. Oh he likes it. I unbutton the black trousers and pull them down. Poor boxers are stretched like a tent with his hard erection pushed against the thin fabric. I let my hands slide up those dark blonde hairs on his soft legs. Chris’ eyes are like lighting against me.

“Arya...” he warns desperately but with an edge of insecurity. I doubt anyone has ever had this kind of power over Chris and he has probably never been in a situation he couldn’t control. I smile while I shake my head.

“No, be quiet” I order and try to put a serious mine on my face. I fail completely. The laughter bubbles out of me and I can’t do anything to stop it. This situation is so strange and so crazy, but so damned hot and I am loving it more than I thought I would. I’ve never dominated anyone before. It’s not even in my nature to be the dominating part. I am the submissive and Chris is my dom. I don’t have any other experience with this kind of dominance or sex, so I try to channel Chris as much as I can. I grab the wristband of his boxers and slowly pull them down to release that thick, hard erection from its prison. Holy crap. It’s a really nice cock. So thick. The top glistens with pre-sperm and I let the tip of my tongue slide gently over the head as I taste him. Chris’ whole body jerks by my soft touch and I hear the bedpost squeaks under his strength. Very slowly I close my hand around the shaft and then I take the whole head of his cock into my warm and wet mouth.

“Shit, Arya!” Chris yells in agony and his huge strong body shakes. I smile with him still in my mouth. Shit. This is beyond hot. I have the full power over Chris and I am enjoying it very much. Not that I don’t enjoy being submissive to his power, because oh I do. But _me_ having power over _him_ makes me his equal. I suck his cock all the way into my mouth and the bed squeaks under Chris’ struggle to get free of the belt. His cock jerks hard as I open my throat to let it slide deeper into my mouth; all the way in and down in my throat; so deep that I can feel his skin on the tip of my nose.

“Fuck!” Chris yells as his cock jerks again and warm sperm shoots down my throat. I sink once but hear a loud crack that has the entire bedroom shaking. I sink again and realise that Chris has just broken the bedpost. I lift my head to look at him. His steel grey eyes flash at me with more intensity than I have ever seen before. Intensity and desire and aggression. Shit. Chris’ hands are free and the power shifts in the second that his huge fists grab my shoulders. He lifts me off him and throws me into the bed next to him, as his heavy body forces itself down between my legs. His cock is still hard and warm and wet with a mixture of my saliva and his own sperm. He grabs my wrists and keeps my hands pinned next to my thighs as he pushes my legs apart and position his head between them. Oh...

“Chris, wait!” I exclaim startled as he, without warning, puts his warm mouth against my burning flesh. His teeth bite my panties apart without effort. His tongue is wet and playful and I writhe under his sweet torture. Chris’ firm grip on my wrists keeps me from moving a lot and I can’t do anything but accept everything he does to me. Just the way he wants me. His warm tongue plays with my clitoris in the sweetest way of delicious torture. I throw my head back into the bed in pure ecstasy. Chris releases one of my hands and I grab his hair in a desperate attempt to get him to slow the fuck down with his playing between my legs. It doesn’t work. He doesn’t even notice. His full attention is at my most sensitive spot and his fingers enter me hard, making me scream in surprise and lust. Shit. It’s _so_ good, so sensitive, so intense. Chris has the power again and he is taking full advantage of it. Of me. My body shakes with unreleased orgasm as Chris presses his fingers deeper into me and lets his tongue play in circles around my clitoris.

“Squirt for me” he growls deeply against my heat. And my body obeys. I feel the muscles in my abdomen contract as the orgasm erupts and I press against his fingers. Chris is fast; he pulls them out in the same second as I start to squirt straight into his face. Shit!

“Chris?” I whisper horrified. Chris appears between my thighs and as he crawls up my body, a wide and confident and triumphant smile spreads in his whole face. His mouth glistens with my sweetness and I can taste the salty sweetness of myself when he presses his soft lips against mine. His tongue invades my mouth in the exact same way as it just played between my legs. Naughty! Dammit, he is so naughty!

“ _Mine_ ” he growls against my lips and then his hard cock enters me. I moan deeply and arch my back as his thick cock penetrates me deeply.

“Yes... Fuck.... _yes_ ” I whisper as a confirmation to his dominance and an exclaim over the amazing feeling of him inside me. His strength inside me and his power over me. Chris puts his arms under my shoulders and lifts me into his chest. With a quick move he rolls us around in the bed so we have switched places. I am on top again, still wearing my underwear and stilettos. I sit up and feel how his cock enters me deeper. Chris’ hands lay on my breasts and he pulls down the cubs of my bra so his strong fingers can pinch my nipples. I scream in pain and lust while I in pure reflex grab his thick wrists. Very slowly, I let my body rise a bit from Chris’ hips and then slide down on them again. Chris moans deeply and growls satisfied. I repeat the movement.

“Another favourite position” Chris mumbles, as his dark aroma emerges from his skin to wrap around the both of us. His hands are fast and now he is the one grapping my wrists. He places my palms on his hard chest while his hands grab my hips and lifts me a bit. His pelvis starts to trust up against mine and as he increases the speed, I desperately try to keep myself sitting up on his hips by holding on to his chest, but shit, it’s not easy. His trusts are so powerful that I lose my balance and I would have fallen off him if his hands hadn’t gripped my hips so hard. Instead Chris follows my fall and we end up on both our sides; me with one leg over Chris’ hip and still with his cock buried in me. Chris grabs my ass with one hand as the other hand reaches out to grab my neck. He pushes my upper body a bit away from him, so the angle allows him to trusts hard into me without falling out. His hand on my hip pulls me into each trust. Suddenly Chris slows down and pulls me closer by squeezing my throat harder and pulls me by it. I grab his thick wrist.

“Didn’t we talk about you being tied?” he whispers warmly against my cheek and a wave of heat ruches through me. I nod quickly.

“You want to be tied?” Chris mumbles into my hair as he enters me deeply. I moan.

“Yes” I whisper. Chris chuckles.

“Yes, what, Arya?” he mumbles. Dammit. Why does he have to force me to say it?

“I want to be tied” I whisper back and Chris’ reaction is to tighten his grip on my neck. I gasp for air.

“And then what? What do you want after I have tied you down?” he growls and takes a deep inhale of my hair which makes his cock jerk. Seriously? Why do I have to say it? Can’t he just do it? Dammit, I can barely think right now.

“I want you to... take me... use me... _abuse_ your power over me” I whisper choked. Another wave of that dark spicy aroma explodes from his skin.

“Is that really what you want me to do to you?” Chris growls. I nod eagerly.

“Say it!” he orders as he tightens his grip on my neck even more.

“Yes, Chris!” I gasp. The lack of air is starting to be a problem. Chris pushes his hips hard in against mine and his cock enters me deeper.

“Alright, Arya. On your knees.”

As Chris commands me, he releases my neck and I gasp for air. I awkwardly get up on my knees. Chris has gotten up from the bed and he roams around in one of the desk drawers before he turns towards me again. Shit. In his hands are two sets of handcuffs and a long, black piece of cloth; a blindfold. His smile is radiant as he approaches the bed and I sink hard while I arch my back a bit. Chris crawls up into the bed behind me and I feel his warm hands on my ass a second before he slaps me hard.

“Shit!” I scream in surprise but my whole body hums with the feeling.

“Give me your hands” Chris growls behind me and I force my arms behind my back as I turn my head to rest it on my cheek instead. Chris grabs my wrists and I feel the cold steel close around them. Shit. I’m restrained. Just like I asked to be. Chris leans in over me from behind and I feel his hands on my head before everything becomes black. Shit. The blindfold.

“Mmm I like this. You’re all mine” Chris mumbles into my hair while he takes a deep breath and I can smell his bonding surround me.

“Always” I whisper back. I’m shaking with anticipation and a bit fear – because I have absolutely no idea of what Chris is going to do now. I’m restrained with my hands handcuffed behind my back, on my knees with my ass right in front of him and blindfolded so I can’t see what happens.

“Are you ready for me?” Chris growls deep and my body hums with expectation. I nod into the bed.

“Yes, Chris” I whisper loudly and mumble to myself: “ _always_ ”.

And I am. I am his. I’ve always been his. And I want this. I have chosen to belong to Chris – not that I would have had much choice in becoming his; the blood-bond taken into consideration, but it’s more than that. I _want_ to be his. I want Chris to have the full power over me and he has. He always has. He always will. Because I am his and he is mine. Always.


	31. Epilogue

“ _Karalieva_.”

The sound of 8 chairs being pushed back at the same time echoes loudly in the room.

“Warriors” I greet them all as I smile to each one of the males in the room. They all place their hand on their heart and bow their head a bit towards me. I smile widely and feel my eyes get glossy. Will I ever get used to this strong and fierce loyalty?

“Abranyaa, are you okay?”

I lift my eyes and look at the male standing at the head of the table. His steel grey eyes are serious and concerned. I smile widely.

“I’m fine, dahari. I just need to talk to my brother for a second” I smile at Chris, whose whole body immediately relaxes at my reassurance. I look at Ian who is standing at Chris’ right hand side. He nods to Chris and then leaves the office with me. As he closes the door behind him, we can both hear the conversation in the office pick up again.

“Are you unharmed? Are Liliya and the girls unharmed?” Ian asks concerned and I cannot stop myself from smiling at his concern.

“Everyone is fine, Ian, don’t worry so much about us. I talked to your female just thirty minutes ago and she had her hands full with the twins as Aurora had emptied a carton of milk onto the floor for Draya to bathe in, but she had it under control. She’s a good female” I smile and Ian immediately relaxes. Funny how insecure and concerned these strong and powerful warriors are when it comes to their females and their young. Vladimir is almost worse than Ian and Chris. He and Megan had a son merely a month after their bonding and Vladimir is like a bear as he constantly watches over Megan and Lychan. He’s almost scarier than before – not that I would have thought that possible, but being a father has made him very strong in protecting his female and their son.

“Good. So what is it you needed to pull me out of a warriors’ meeting to talk to me about?” Ian asks with his brows pulled down as he crosses his huge arms over his broad chest, making himself look hard and strong. I smile widely and feel a joyous giggle escape my lips.

“Can you spare an hour or two this afternoon to drive me to the hospital?” I smile and Ian’s face opens in absolute horror and concern.

“The hospital? Are you sick? Are you in pain? What’s wrong?”

He almost stumbles on each sentence as they leave his lips faster than I can process them. I laugh out loud but then pull myself together. I’m actually not fair in laughing at my brother’s concern for my well-being but I am teasing him on purpose.

“I’m fine. Actually, I’m more than fine. That’s why I need to visit the hospital” I smile as I slowly place both of my hands on my lower belly. Ian’s green eyes drop to my hands and he stares at them for what feels like hours, but it’s probably one a few seconds, before he looks up at me. Excitement fills his face and his green eyes sparkle at me; reflecting my own.

“Are you serious?” he exhales and I nod slowly while a wide grin takes over my face.

“I’m serious” I smile but have barely finished the words before Ian has his huge arms around me and hugs me tightly in against his warm, hard body.

“I’m so happy for you, siastra majha” he mumbles into my hair and tears form in my eyes. Ian slowly puts me down so my feet touch the ground again.

“Have you told Chris?” he asks smiling but I shake my head.

“Not yet, I want to be absolutely sure before I tell him, hence the visit to the hospital.”

Ian nods to me and then points towards the front door.

“No reason to wait for the afternoon. Let’s go right now” he ushers as he almost pushes me towards the door. I laugh but follow him anyway.

“But don’t you have to get back to the meeting?” I laugh while Ian forces my jacket up my arms as if he was dressing a child. Ian snorts at me and his face becomes serious.

“No meeting in the world is more important than the safety of my niece or nephew, or the well-being of my sister. So no, I don’t have a meeting to get back to. Chris knows I’m with you; he knows where to reach me if needed” Ian states hard. I smile and let him lead me out of the mansion and into the garage. We hear footsteps follow us and Ian spins around so fast I don’t even see the movement. His hand is raised at the level of his eyes as he points the gun towards our pursuer.

“Don’t shoot me for doing my job, brother” Roman Ozera says as he holds up his hands in defeat. Ian sighs heavily before putting away his gun.

“How many times have I told you not to call me that, dzicia? That I’m bonded to your sister doesn’t make me your brother, so stop calling me that” Ian growls, but Roman’s face just lights up in a huge smile.

“Karalieva” he smiles at me and I try to hide my own smile, as Roman is clearly only calling Ian ‘brother’ to annoy him because that’s just the way he is.

“Are we going somewhere?” Roman’s voice pull me out of my own thoughts and I smile reassuringly at him.

“Just going for a little drive with my brother, nothing you need to worry about” I smile but Roman isn’t having it.

“I’ll join you. It is my job after all and I’m pretty sure my karol would not want me slacking on it” Roman grins widely and I cast a glance at Ian whose face is indifferent.

“Fine, suit yourself, dzicia, but you’re waiting in the car.”

Roman nods as he smiles widely and gets in the car with Ian and myself, but his grin is directed at Ian. He might tease him a lot, but underneath that grin of his I see more seriousness in this young male than I have ever seen before. He truly wants to keep me safe, job or no job, but he would never pass up an opportunity to tease Ian a bit more. I don’t think he’s ever truly forgiven his sister Liliya – the beautiful female at his side at Megan and Vladimir’s bonding – for falling in love with a Hathaway and deciding to carry on the Hathaway name instead of the Ozera. But historically speaking, an Ozera and a Hathaway is more common than any other parings and it usually is the father’s name being passed on so it’s not as unusual as Roman wants it to be. Even though Megan and Vladimir have chosen to carry on the Amaraz name as the Amaraz doesn’t have a lot to carry on the name. Catania and Alec have decided to carry on our Hathaway name as they have named their son Alexander Hathaway Jr. and the little girl inside Catania’s belly will also be a Hathaway. Oh my. I suddenly realise that the Hathaway family has grown explosively over the last two years with three children already born and two more on the way. Well, four children already born, but I try my best to not think of Annabelle because the pain in my heart is just too much for me to bear – especially with a little sister or brother to her on the way. But yes, the mansion is suddenly filled with children’s laughter instead of the gloomy dark atmosphere that filled it before I came into Chris’ life. Even though Alec and Catania live in their own, they visit so often because everyone else lives here and Catania wants her son to be surrounded by family. And he is because it really _is_ everyone else who lives here. Ian and Liliya live here with the twins who are the naughtiest almost two-year-olds that I have ever known. No, that’s not true. _Aurora_ is the naughtiest almost two-year-old that I have ever known but Draya is not shy to follow in her sister’s footsteps whenever possible. Vladimir and Megan live her too, of course, and their son Lychan who is two years old. He’s like a big brother to the twins and they love him for it. He’s probably the only one that Aurora will never even consider teasing with anything. She’s the sweetest towards him. No one else is safe; only Lychan. I wonder what this little white spot in my belly will be; a little sister or a little brother to the kids in the mansion? I guess I’ll find out soon enough. But it doesn’t matter what gender the young has as long as it’s healthy and alive. Chris will be so happy when I tell him. Losing Annabelle has been so hard for the both of us, even though Chris hardly seems burdened by it, but I know him too well. He wants a young and losing Annabelle was a hard blow, but now I have another opportunity to give him the young he’s always wanted. I am making him a father again. And what a wonderful father he will be for the young inside my belly; just like the wonderful and amazing dahari he is to me.

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original work and all right are reserved to the creator of it; Elena Andersen writing as Ehlena Stormborn.


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